Hung Cao

Hung Cao (born 1971) is an American politician and former military officer who has served as the Under Secretary of the Navy since 2025. Following the resignation of Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan in April 2026, he became acting secretary; he has been nominated by President Donald Trump to take the role permanently. Cao has been the Republican Party's nominee in two Virginia elections: for the 10th congressional district in 2022, and for the Senate in 2024.

Early life and career

Hung Cao was born in 1971 in Saigon, South Vietnam. His father, Quan Cao , was a native of Quảng Trị province who studied in the Philippines on a scholarship from the Rockefeller Foundation, earned a Ph.D. at Cornell University, and later worked in South Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and as an assistant to the deputy prime minister. In 1975, the Cao family immigrated to the United States. They spent some time in Niger because Quan Cao, now an agricultural specialist at USAID, was posted there.

Cao graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in 1989, being part of the first class to do so, and joined the U.S. Navy. During his years of active duty, he was deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. A specialist in ordnance disposal and salvage diving, he obtained the Navy Diving Officer and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Warfare Officers Badges, led the recovery of the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette, and Lauren Bessette following their plane crash off Martha's Vineyard, and was commanding officer of the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center, near Naval Support Activity Panama City, from September 2013 to June 2016. He obtained a bachelor's degree in ocean engineering from the United States Naval Academy in 1996, and a Master's of Science in Applied Physics from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2008.

Cao retired as a captain in 2021, and was hired as a vice president of CACI, a U.S. government contractor that provides services to defense, intelligence, and homeland security agencies.

In June 2024, Cao and his wife April published the book Call Me an American: Refugee to Patriot: Lessons Learned for a Strong America . The book recounts his childhood and military service and shares his views on patriotism and citizenship.

Congressional elections 2022 House bid

Cao was one of eleven candiates in the Republican primary of the 2022 election for Virginia's 10th congressional district. He placed first by about 2,800 votes, advancing to the general election against Democratic incumbent Jennifer Wexton. During a debate with Wexton, he expressed support for the deregulation of government across nearly all facets of life. During the course of the campaign, Wexton sought to portray Hung Cao as "extreme" in comparison to the political demographics of the district, emphasizing his anti-abortion and pro-gun rights stances. Cao lost the election to Wexton 53% to 47%. Receiving the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, he comfortably won, receiving 61.8% of the vote in a five-candidate race. In the general election, he was defeated by Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine by a margin of 54% to 45%.

In an interview given during the campaign, Cao feared that "witchcraft" could intrude into Virginia like it allegedly had in Monterey, California, and called himself an African American because of his time in Niger as a child. In public appearances, he jokingly claimed to be "100% disabled" from combat-related injuries; he did not receive the Purple Heart or the Combat Action Ribbon, both normally awarded to someone injured by enemy action.

Department of the Navy Under Secretary of the Navy (2025–present) On February 28, 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Cao for the position of Under Secretary of the Navy. Cao was confirmed by the Senate on October 1 by a margin of 52-45, with Republican Lisa Murkowski joining every Democrat present in rejecting the nomination, and was sworn in by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on October 3. He was rarely involved in decisions made by the Department of the Navy, and was forbidden from attending meetings on behalf of Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan.

Acting Secretary of the Navy (2026–present)

On April 22, 2026, Phelan resigned; as Under Secretary, Cao replaced him on an interim basis. Cao took charge during the Iran War, in which naval ships were heavily involved.

On July 21, 2026, Cao awarded the Navy Unit Commendation to the crew of the USS Charlotte, credited with sinking Iranian warship IRIS Dena. On August 14, he responded to concerns about the state of the USS Abraham Lincoln, caused by a longer period between ports of call than is normal, with a statement which called the criticism "dishonest".

On September 1, 2026, Trump nominated Cao to be the permanent secretary.

Personal life Cao and his wife April Lakata Cao have two sons and three daughters, one adopted from Thailand and a pair of twins, all homeschooled by April. The Caos live in Purcellville, Virginia

Military awards Cao's decorations, awards, and badges include:

Electoral history 2022 2022 Virginia 10th district GOP firehouse primary Candidate Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Round 6 Round 7 Round 8 Round 9 Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes % Votes %

6,363 42% 6,379 42.1% 6,393 42.2% 6,471 42.8% 6,562 43.5% 6,672 44.4% 6,998 46.6% 7,238 48.7% 7,729 52.3%

4,373 28.9% 4,382 30% 4,390 29% 4,433 29.3% 4,503 29.8% 4,564 30.4% 4,693 31.2% 4,800 32.3% 5,000 33.8%

1,538 10.2% 1,551 10.2% 1,555 10.3% 1,588 10.5% 1,612 10.7% 1,614 10.7% 1,733 11.5% 1,854 12.5% 2,052 13.9%

719 4.7% 721 4.8% 724 4.8% 739 4.9% 764 5.1% 794 6.3% 876 5.8% 979 6.6%

621 4.1% 623 4.1% 627 4.1% 646 4.3% 678 4.5% 707 4.7% 727 4.8%

612 4% 614 4.1% 619 4.1% 628 4.2% 641 4.2% 676 4.5%

308 2% 308 2% 312 2.1% 328 2.2% 333 2.2%

259 1.7% 262 1.7% 276 1.8% 285 1.9%

232 1.5% 232 1.5% 237 1.6%

64 0.4% 66 0.4%

56 0.4%

2024