Trump Nominates Hung Cao as Permanent Navy Secretary

President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is nominating acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to hold the post on a permanent basis, elevating a combat veteran who has served in the role since late April. The move comes as the Navy faces mounting strain from an escalating conflict with Iran that has already produced extended deployments and reports of declining morale among sailors.

Trump described Cao on social media as a true warrior and urged the Senate to confirm him quickly. Cao, who spent 25 years as a Navy special operations officer and deployed with SEAL teams and special forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, replied that the nomination represented the honor of a lifetime to lead Navy and Marine Corps personnel. In 1999 he led the recovery operation for the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife and his sister-in-law after their plane crashed off Martha’s Vineyard.

Cao took over as acting secretary after John Phelan left the position without public explanation. Reports indicated Phelan’s departure followed clashes with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other Pentagon officials. The nomination fits a pattern of rapid turnover in senior military posts during Trump’s second term, including the recent resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll after similar internal friction.

The timing of the announcement coincides with heightened concerns from congressional Democrats that the Navy is being stretched beyond sustainable limits by operations tied to the Iran conflict. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln recently completed a nine-month deployment that set a record for continuous time at sea in support of U.S. strikes. Senators Richard Blumenthal and Ruben Gallego have requested formal accountability from the Pentagon after receiving reports of worsening mental health among crew members and shortages of basic supplies such as food and hygiene items.

Iranian forces have carried out fresh attacks on U.S. installations across the Middle East in response to earlier American bombardments, marking the heaviest exchange of fire in the six-month conflict to date. Trump has warned of even stronger retaliation should Iran continue its strikes. Critics argue that sustained carrier presence and supporting operations have placed disproportionate demands on Navy personnel and equipment at a time when recruiting shortfalls already limit overall readiness.

Cao previously served as Navy undersecretary and has publicly backed efforts to accelerate shipbuilding and improve homeland defense priorities. If confirmed, he would oversee the full scope of Navy operations, from recruiting and training to equipping and deployment decisions. Senate confirmation is expected to draw scrutiny over both his record and the administration’s handling of the Iran-related deployments that have defined much of his acting tenure.