Trump Nominates Hung Cao as Navy Secretary, Calls Him a 'True Warrior'

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President Donald Trump has nominated acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to lead the Department of the Navy on a permanent basis, calling the retired Navy captain a "true WARRIOR" and urging the Senate to confirm the "Warfighter" ASAP.

Trump Pushes Senate for Swift Confirmation

"I am pleased to nominate a true WARRIOR, Hung Cao, to become the next Secretary of the Navy," Trump wrote Tuesday on Truth Social. "We need Patriots like Hung leading our Navy and Marine Corps," he added, saying he could think of "no one better" to keep the services the "FIERCEST and BEST Force the World has ever seen."

Trump noted that Cao's four months as acting secretary demonstrated he deserved a swift confirmation so he could continue the "fantastic work he has been doing over the past 4 months."

Cao took over on April 22 after John Phelan abruptly left the administration, having previously served as Navy undersecretary. In response, Cao thanked Trump on X, calling the opportunity "an honor of a lifetime" and pledging that the department would "continue to get after shipbuilding and ensure the defense of the homeland."

MarketDash reached out to the White House for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

Shipbuilding Push Shapes Cao's Navy Tenure

The nomination arrives as Trump makes rebuilding U.S. naval capacity a major defense priority. The Navy's fiscal 2027 budget request totals $377.5 billion, up 23% from the previous year, including $65.8 billion for shipbuilding to buy 18 battle-force ships and 16 auxiliary vessels, according to the service.

Cao has already helped steer that expansion. In May, he called the Navy's 30-year shipbuilding plan a roadmap for the "Golden Fleet," aimed at expanding fleet capacity while revitalizing shipyards and the maritime workforce. Trump separately ordered new steps in August to rebuild the shipbuilding industrial base after years of delays, cost growth, and capacity constraints.

Cao Brings Decades of Naval Experience

The Navy says Cao entered the service as a seaman recruit in 1989, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, and became a special operations officer. He served as a Navy diver and explosive ordnance disposal officer, deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, and retired as a captain in 2021.

Cao later ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House in 2022 and the Senate in 2024. If confirmed, he would formally oversee both the Navy and the Marine Corps.