# Trump nominates Hung Cao to serve as permanent Navy Secretary amid leadership turmoil at Pentagon

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/trump-nominates-hung-cao-to-serve-as-permanent-navy-secretary-amid-leadership-turmoil-at-pentagon/
- Published: 2026-09-02T04:37:15+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-02T10:43:04+00:00
- Original publisher: Daily Mail (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16097581/Trump-nominates-Hung-Cao-Navy-Secretary.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
- Topics: Government, Politics, World

## Key points

- Trump nominates Hung Cao as permanent US Navy Secretary
- Senate confirmation still required for the role
- Comes amid wider turmoil in Pentagon leadership under Hegseth

## Summary

Donald Trump has confirmed he will nominate Hung Cao, currently acting US Secretary of the Navy, to hold the position permanently, a move requiring majority approval in the Senate. The announcement caps months of turbulence among America's military leadership, most recently the resignation of Army Secretary Dan Driscoll after reported friction with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and settles one of the Pentagon's key vacant posts amid an ongoing purge of senior officers under Hegseth.

Cao has served in the acting role since April, when predecessor John C. Phelan was ousted amid disputes over Trump's "Golden Fleet" shipbuilding programme, which envisages new nuclear-capable "Trump-class" battleships. Trump praised Cao on Truth Social as a "Warfighter" and urged swift Senate confirmation, while Cao, a 25-year Navy combat veteran who served in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, called the nomination the "honour of a lifetime". The appointment came despite a recent Daily Mail report detailing questionable disability claims, odd remarks about witchcraft, and racist comments attributed to Cao, and amid separate concerns over the strain placed on US aircraft carriers during ongoing conflicts involving Iran.

## Coverage

- [Daily Mail: Trump nominates Hung Cao to serve as permanent Navy Secretary amid leadership turmoil at Pentagon](https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-16097581/Trump-nominates-Hung-Cao-Navy-Secretary.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490)
- [Fox News: Trump taps ‘true warrior’ Hung Cao as Navy secretary after 4 months as acting leader](https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-taps-true-warrior-hung-cao-navy-secretary-after-4-months-acting-leader)
- [The Hill: President Trump nominates Hung Cao as Navy Secretary](https://thehill.com/policy/defense/6065087-trump-nominates-hung-cao-navy/)

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.