President Donald Trump on Thursday appointed former Virginia Senate candidate Hung Cao to serve as Under Secretary of the Navy, making the special operations veteran the second-ranking civilian leader for the service.

The move came just hours after the Senate Armed Services Committee held a confirmation hearing for businessman John Phelan, Trump’s pick to serve as Navy Secretary. He is expected to be approved for the post by the full chamber in the next few weeks.

Unlike Phelan, who has no previous military experience, Cao is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and deployed with special operations forces to Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia during his 25-year military career.

He also worked on the Navy budget process during an assignment to the Pentagon and received a master’s degree in physics from the Naval Postgraduate School.

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By Leo Shane III

In a statement on social media, Trump called Cao “the embodiment of the American Dream.”

Cao is an immigrant who moved to America as a Vietnamese refugee in 1975, also spending time in West Africa during his childhood.

“Hung worked tirelessly to make proud the country that gave his family a home,” Trump wrote. “With Hung’s experience both in combat and in the Pentagon, he will get the job done.”

Hung unsuccessfully bid to replace Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., in the 2024 Senate contest. During that campaign, he spoke extensively about how diversity and inclusion efforts were harming the military, and at one point said that military recruits should be willing to “rip out their own guts, eat them, and ask for seconds.”

In response to the presidential appointment, Hung released a short statement on social media thanking Trump and stating “It’s time to get to work.”

Only one of Trump’s senior service leaders has been confirmed by the Senate so far. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll was approved by the chamber on Tuesday. No timetable has been set for a vote on Phelan.

About Leo Shane III

Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.

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