Retired captain Hung Cao nominated for Navy under secretary

President Trump has nominated retired Navy captain and former Virginia Senate candidate Hung Cao to serve as Navy under secretary.

In a Truth Social post, Trump described Cao as the “embodiment of the American dream.” Cao is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who was commissioned as a special operations officer and served for 25 years.

“As a refugee to our great nation, 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.”

Cao, who immigrated to the United States from Vietnam with his family in 1975, challenged incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) for a Virginia Senate seat in 2024 and was endorsed by Trump. Previously, Cao ran for Virginia’s 10th congressional district in 2022. He was unsuccessful in both races.

The announcement follows a Thursday confirmation hearing for John Phelan, who has been nominated to serve as Navy secretary.