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Trump nominates acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao for the permanent job
AP News • • nation
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump has nominated acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao for the permanent position, highlighting Cao’s extensive military background as a special operations officer with 25 years of Navy service.
- Cao has been serving as acting Navy secretary since April, following the unexpected departure of John Phelan, who lacked military or civilian leadership experience in the Navy.
- The nomination comes amid concerns from Democrats and others about the strain on Navy personnel, particularly regarding the USS Abraham Lincoln’s prolonged nine-month deployment supporting the Iran conflict.
- Reports of mental health issues and supply shortages aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln have prompted calls from lawmakers like Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ruben Gallego for Pentagon accountability.
- Cao, a Trump loyalist and former Navy undersecretary, has supported returning service members who refused the COVID-19 vaccine mandate and defended the Navy’s Blue Angels after a controversial low-altitude flight over a Florida beach.
