Trump Nominates Hung Cao as Navy Secretary Amid 9-Month Carrier Strain
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 2
Trump Nominates Hung Cao as Navy Secretary Amid 9-Month Carrier Strain
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 2
Summary
Trump said he will nominate acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to hold the job permanently, sending the retired Navy captain to the Senate for confirmation.
Cao has led the service during a Pentagon leadership purge and a stalling war against Iran, while the USS Abraham Lincoln has endured more than nine months at sea supporting the campaign.
The move follows John Phelan’s April firing after clashes with senior Pentagon leaders over reviving shipbuilding, including the administration’s proposed $275 billion “Golden Fleet.”
Cao, a South Vietnam refugee who served more than 30 years in the Navy, is seen as closer to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on the cultural fights that have shaped his tenure.