Military

Trump Nominates Hung Cao as Permanent Navy Secretary

Is Hung Cao the combat-tested Navy leader America needs or a political loyalist rewarded amid Pentagon chaos?

3 hours ago·Updated 1 hour ago

Trump Nominates Hung Cao as Permanent Navy Secretary

Story

Above: Hung Cao speaks aboard the USS Kearsarge in New York Harbor on July 4. Image credit: Vincent Alban/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

Hung Cao is precisely the leader the U.S. Navy needs at this moment — a combat veteran who spent 25 years as a special operations officer and actually knows what it takes to win wars. Unlike his predecessor, Cao brings real military experience to the role, and the Senate should confirm him without delay. A patriot who fled communism and served his country deserves this post.

Donald Trump on Truthsocial

Ryan Fournier on X

Establishment-critical narrative

Nominating Cao does nothing to fix a Pentagon in freefall — Army Secretary Driscoll just quit, the previous Navy secretary was pushed out over a warship dispute, and sailors on the USS Abraham Lincoln are reporting food shortages and mental health crises after a record-breaking deployment. Rewarding a twice-failed political candidate with a permanent cabinet post mid-war looks like loyalty over competence. Expect a difficult confirmation process.

Politico

Anthony Adragna on X