Former Navy Captain Hung Cao has been officially confirmed as the Under Secretary of the Navy, a role that places him as the second-highest-ranking official in the department. Cao was nominated by President Trump in February 2024, shortly after losing his Senate race against Senator Tim Kaine. The confirmation follows a campaign during which Cao criticized what he described as the Navy’s “diversity, equity and inclusion” initiatives, stating, “When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we want.”

Cao, a 25-year Navy veteran from Loudoun County, gained national attention as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2024. During his campaign, he emphasized military values, advocating for what he called “alpha males and alpha females” to lead in warfare. Despite his efforts, Kaine defeated Cao in the race, securing 54.3% of the vote to Cao’s 45.4%.

Cao also ran for Virginia’s 10th Congressional District in 2022 but lost to Jennifer Wexton. Prior to his political career, he served in the Navy’s Special Operations unit, where he participated in salvage missions worldwide, including the recovery of John F. Kennedy Jr.’s plane following its 1999 crash. Cao described the operation as a “sad” but necessary effort to honor the fallen. “We were able to recover the body of, really, America’s son,” he said, recalling his role in the mission.

Cao’s military career included deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia, where he worked alongside Special Forces and SEAL Teams. His background as a Vietnamese refugee who fled Saigon before its fall in 1975 was highlighted by Trump during Cao’s confirmation, with the former president praising him as “the embodiment of the American Dream.”

The Navy’s new Secretary, John Phelan, faced Senate scrutiny during his confirmation hearing, where he encountered questions from Kaine. Meanwhile, Cao’s legacy remains tied to both his military service and his outspoken views on military culture.