Trump nominates loyalist Hung Cao to be permanent navy secretary – US politics live

Trump Nominates Hung Cao to Serve as Navy Secretary

Donald Trump has nominated Hung Cao to serve as Navy secretary on a permanent basis. Cao has held the acting role since April, when John Phelan left the position without a public explanation. Trump posted on social media that he was pleased to nominate Cao and urged the Senate to confirm him quickly.

Cao served 25 years in the Navy as a special operations officer. His assignments included duty with SEAL teams and special forces units during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a social media statement, Cao described the nomination as the honor of a lifetime to lead Navy and Marine Corps personnel.

The nomination occurs while some members of Congress, including Democrats, have raised questions about the pace of naval deployments connected to U.S. military actions against Iran. The USS Abraham Lincoln completed a nine-month deployment that set a record for continuous time at sea in support of those operations. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have reported strikes on U.S. facilities in Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Iraq’s Kurdistan region. These actions followed U.S. strikes that Iranian state media said killed 18 people. Trump had stated earlier that further Iranian retaliation would prompt stronger U.S. responses. The exchanges have continued for six months and center on control of shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.

In other congressional and state developments, Senator Ed Markey won the Democratic primary in Massachusetts. He defeated Representative Seth Moulton, who had argued that Markey’s age limited his effectiveness. Progressive groups including Our Revolution supported Markey’s victory.

House Democratic leaders issued a statement criticizing two members, Representatives Marie Gluesenkamp Perez and Jared Golden, for voting with Republicans on a procedural measure. The leaders described the votes as a breach of trust and referred the matter to the caucus rules committee. Eight Democrats in total supported the measure, which included a resolution condemning socialism and language endorsing the SAVE America Act, a voting bill that would prohibit mail-in ballots and require proof of citizenship. The other six Democrats were Representatives Kathy Castor, Henry Cuellar, Don Davis, Vicente Gonzalez Jr., Darren Soto, and Gabe Vasquez.

Golden stated on social media that his vote supported a continuing resolution to fund the government through December 11 and avoid a shutdown. Gluesenkamp Perez said her vote reflected concerns about families facing economic pressure and opposed requirements to photocopy birth certificates for voting. The House separately voted to censure Republican Representative Chuck Edwards after an ethics committee finding that he violated rules on sexual harassment involving two female staff members.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul criticized the withholding of $87 million in counter-terrorism funds from the state. The Department of Homeland Security has moved forward with measures that align with administration efforts to change voting procedures.

Teamsters Leadership Backs Republican Candidates

Teamsters union president Sean O’Brien has made contributions to Republican candidates in the current cycle. O’Brien donated $1,000 to former Senator Scott Brown’s campaign for the U.S. Senate seat in New Hampshire. Brown appeared on O’Brien’s podcast in February. The union’s national leadership did not endorse a presidential candidate in 2024, citing internal polling that showed majority support for Trump among members, though many local bodies endorsed Kamala Harris. O’Brien was the first Teamsters president to address a Republican National Convention.

Some union officials have objected to the national leadership’s direction. Vice president John Palmer, elected on O’Brien’s slate in 2021, said Republican policies have consistently opposed union positions. Teamsters Local 633 in New Hampshire endorsed Democratic candidate Chris Pappas for the Senate race. The national union has not commented on the local endorsement.

The procedural vote in the House that drew Democratic criticism passed 370-48 and funded government operations through December. Democratic leaders said the action by the eight members required review by the caucus rules committee. The resolution also called for enactment of the SAVE America Act provisions on mail ballots and citizenship verification.

Iranian forces have continued strikes on U.S. positions across the region in the heaviest exchange in several weeks. U.S. officials have described the deployments, including the extended carrier presence, as necessary to maintain pressure on Iranian shipping routes. Democrats in Congress have pointed to the length of the Abraham Lincoln deployment as evidence of strain on personnel and equipment.

Cao’s military record includes extensive service in special operations. Phelan, his predecessor, had no prior military service or senior civilian role in the Navy Department. The Senate confirmation process for Cao has not yet been scheduled.

Additional House action included passage of the continuing resolution that several Democrats supported despite leadership objections. The measure prevents a lapse in appropriations and sets a deadline for further budget negotiations. Representatives who crossed party lines cited the need to avoid a shutdown during an election period.

State-level criticism of federal funding decisions continued with Hochul’s statement on the withheld counter-terrorism money. The administration has linked some domestic security grants to compliance with new voting requirements under consideration by the Department of Homeland Security.

The six-month conflict with Iran remains centered on maritime access and regional bases. Both sides have reported casualties and material losses from the recent round of strikes.