Hung Cao, the former refugee who is Trump’s new acting navy secretary

Key Points:

• Hung Cao, the acting Navy secretary and a former naval officer and refugee, succeeded John Phelan and has been tasked with modernizing base infrastructure, improving quality of life for service members, raising recruiting standards, permitting vaccine refusal, and eliminating DEI policies in the military.
• Cao has been outspoken about military recruiting, advocating for recruiting "alpha males and alpha females" willing to endure extreme challenges, and has criticized the Navy’s ship readiness rate of about 60% as "horrid."
• He emphasizes the need to rethink naval warfare by accelerating shipbuilding and advancing technology to counter emerging threats like hypersonic missiles, stressing that the military must prepare for future conflicts beyond current paradigms.
• Cao’s political background includes two unsuccessful Republican campaigns in Virginia marked by controversial remarks on religious tolerance and support for a national abortion ban; he also highlighted his refugee background and dedication to military service during his confirmation hearing.
• Cao’s military career includes service as a special operations officer with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, leadership in recovering John F. Kennedy Jr.’s body, and roles in naval budget programming; he holds advanced degrees and fellowships from prestigious institutions.