Introduction

You may not have heard the name Hung Cao until recently — but right now, he sits at the top of one of the most powerful military institutions in the world. As of April 22, 2026, Hung Cao serves as the acting United States Secretary of the Navy, stepping into a role that puts him in charge of nearly one million sailors, Marines, reservists, and civilian personnel.

His journey to this point is anything but ordinary. He arrived in the United States as a four-year-old refugee from Vietnam in 1975. He grew up partly in West Africa. He went on to serve 25 years in the Navy as a special operations officer. Then he entered politics, ran for Senate, lost — and still ended up leading the entire Department of the Navy.

This article covers everything you need to know about Hung Cao. His background, his military service, his political career, his controversies, and his current role in the Trump administration. Whether you follow defense politics closely or you just heard his name for the first time, you will leave here with a clear and complete picture of who this man is.

Who Is Hung Cao? The Remarkable Background Behind the Name

From Vietnam Refugee to U.S. Naval Academy Graduate

Hung Cao was born on August 3, 1971. His father, Quan Cao, was from Quảng Trị province in Vietnam and worked in South Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture. His father had studied internationally, earning a scholarship from the Rockefeller Foundation and eventually a Ph.D. from Cornell University.

In 1975, when Hung was just four years old, his family fled Vietnam as refugees following the fall of Saigon. That single moment — being uprooted from the only country his family had ever called home — would define almost everything about the man he would become.

The family did not settle quietly into American suburban life right away. Hung spent part of his childhood living in Niger, in West Africa, where his father served as an agricultural specialist for USAID. He returned to the United States at age 12.

Back in the U.S., he thrived academically. He became a member of the very first graduating class of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Virginia — one of the most competitive public high schools in the country.

He then entered the U.S. Navy as a seaman recruit in 1989. In 1996, he graduated from the prestigious United States Naval Academy with a bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering. In 2008, he earned a Master of Science in applied physics from the Naval Postgraduate School.

A 25-Year Navy Career in Special Operations

Hung Cao did not spend his Navy career behind a desk. He became a specialist in explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) and salvage diving. These are not safe or glamorous jobs. EOD officers find, disarm, and destroy bombs. Divers working in salvage face high-pressure, high-risk underwater conditions.

During his career, Cao deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. He earned the Command Ashore Badge, the Navy Diving Officer Badge, and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Warfare Officers Badge.

One of the most notable moments of his naval career happened in 1999. Cao led the Navy team aboard the USNS Grasp that recovered the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and her sister Lauren Bessette after their plane crashed off Martha’s Vineyard. That mission required deep-water recovery operations and brought enormous public attention to the team involved.

Cao also served alongside U.S. Special Operations Forces units, supporting Naval Special Warfare operations during his overseas deployments. He worked at the Pentagon as the section head for the budget programming division in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

He retired from active duty as a Navy Captain in October 2021. After retirement, he moved into the private sector as a vice president at CACI, a major U.S. government contractor providing services to defense, intelligence, and homeland security agencies.

Hung Cao in Politics: The Campaigns That Shaped His Public Profile

The 2022 Congressional Race

After retiring from the Navy, Hung Cao wasted no time entering politics. In 2022, he ran as a Republican candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, challenging Democratic incumbent Jennifer Wexton.

The race drew significant attention because the district had large populations of both Asian Americans and military families — demographics that seemed favorable to Cao. During the campaign, he positioned himself as a strong deregulation advocate and a conservative voice on social issues.

He lost to Wexton by a margin of 53% to 47%. It was a competitive race, but not close enough for a win.

The 2024 Virginia Senate Race

Cao did not step back from politics after 2022. In July 2023, he declared himself a candidate in the 2024 Virginia U.S. Senate race, aiming to unseat Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine.

The race became one of the more talked-about Senate contests of the cycle. Cao received the endorsement of former President Donald Trump, which gave him a significant boost in the Republican primary. On June 18, 2024, Cao won the GOP primary by a wide margin — taking 61.8% of the vote in a five-candidate field. He defeated Scott Parkinson, Eddie Garcia, Chuck Smith, and Jonathan Walker Emord.

His primary win set up a general election showdown with Tim Kaine, a well-established politician with deep roots in Virginia. Kaine had served as mayor of Richmond, lieutenant governor, governor of Virginia, and U.S. Senator since 2013. He was also Hillary Clinton’s running mate in the 2016 presidential election.

Pre-election polls consistently showed Kaine leading by double-digit points. On November 5, 2024, Kaine defeated Cao with roughly 54% of the vote to Cao’s 45%. The Associated Press called the race late on election night.

Despite the loss, Cao’s Senate campaign brought him significant national attention. He spoke at the Republican National Convention in July 2024. Trump appeared alongside him at the Eden Center in Falls Church, Virginia — the largest Vietnamese commercial center on the East Coast — in a campaign event that drew wide coverage.

The Policy Positions That Defined Cao’s Campaign

On the Economy and Jobs

Cao ran on a platform of economic nationalism. He strongly opposed what he described as foreign “unfair trade practices.” He proposed using funds from the Defense Production Act to create 2,500 rural jobs and signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, committing to oppose any income tax increase legislation.

On Military and National Security

Not surprisingly for a retired Navy captain, national security formed the backbone of Cao’s campaign. He advocated for stronger border security, calling migration across the southern U.S. border an “invasion.” He pushed for energy independence and tariffs on goods manufactured in China.

He was sharply critical of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in the military, arguing they undermined readiness and recruitment. During his one televised debate with Tim Kaine, he made a widely reported comment about military recruitment standards that drew both support and sharp criticism.

On Abortion and Healthcare

On abortion, Cao opposed a national abortion ban, believing the issue should be left to individual states. He supported access to in vitro fertilization but opposed government funding for it.

On healthcare, he argued that the medical industry needed to compete and innovate without overregulation. He pointed to drug shortages — including antibiotics and cancer medications — as a symptom of regulatory failure and foreign supply chain dependence.

The Controversies That Followed Cao During the 2024 Race

No profile of Hung Cao is complete without looking honestly at the controversies that emerged during his Senate campaign. You deserve a clear-eyed account, not a sanitized one.

The PAC spending controversy: A Staunton-based publication, The News Leader, reported that a political action committee Cao launched to support Republican candidates in 2023 spent none of its $103,489 raised on state house or state senate elections. Instead, the funds went toward Cao’s own Senate bid. Cao pushed back hard, calling the article a “hit job” by a “podunk local newspaper” run by “left-wing hacks.”

The rural Virginia remarks: In a virtual town hall, Cao called it “ridonkulous” and “crazy” to drive to Abingdon in southwestern Virginia to attend a campaign forum. The comment drew significant backlash, with critics accusing him of being dismissive of rural Virginians — a demographic Republicans typically work hard to court.

The disability claim controversy: USA Today reported that Cao claimed in campaign appearances to be “100% disabled” from being “blown up in combat many times.” However, he had not received either the Purple Heart or the Navy’s Combat Action Ribbon, both of which are normally awarded to service members injured by enemy action. Cao declined to clarify the claim when asked by the newspaper.

The “witchcraft” comment: During his 2023 Senate campaign announcement period, Cao said that “witchcraft” had taken over Monterey, California, and he did not want that to happen to Virginia. The comment circulated widely online.

These controversies did not derail his primary win, but they contributed to the challenges he faced in the general election against Kaine.

From Senate Defeat to the Pentagon: Hung Cao’s Appointment Path

Trump Nominates Cao as Under Secretary of the Navy

Losing a Senate race might have ended the political ambitions of many candidates. For Hung Cao, it opened a different door.

On February 28, 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Cao to serve as Under Secretary of the Navy — the number two civilian position in the Department of the Navy, just below the Secretary of the Navy. The role required Senate confirmation.

The confirmation vote came on October 1, 2025. The Senate confirmed Cao in a 52 to 45 vote, with three senators not voting. Every Republican senator except Lisa Murkowski voted to confirm him. Every Democratic senator opposed his nomination, with the exception of Senators Schumer, Gillibrand, and Schatz, who were not present.

On October 3, 2025, Hung Cao was sworn in as the 35th Under Secretary of the Navy.

Rising to Acting Secretary of the Navy

Less than a year after taking the Under Secretary role, Cao found himself thrust into an even more prominent position.

On April 22, 2026, Navy Secretary John C. Phelan departed the Trump administration effective immediately. No official reason was given for his sudden exit. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was reported to have driven the decision.

That same evening, Pentagon chief spokesman Sean Parnell announced on social media that Under Secretary Hung Cao would become the acting United States Secretary of the Navy.

The timing was significant. The Navy currently has three aircraft carriers deployed in or heading to the Middle East. The Trump administration has said all armed forces are prepared to resume combat operations against Iran should an ongoing ceasefire expire. Cao stepped into this role at one of the most operationally intense moments for the U.S. Navy in recent years.

Phelan’s departure also came just one day after he had delivered a keynote address at the Navy’s annual Sea-Air-Space symposium in Washington, making the announcement particularly sudden and surprising to the defense community.

What Cao Brings to the Acting Secretary Role

Cao’s background differs notably from most of his predecessors. He is not a surface warfare officer or a naval aviator — the two career paths that most commonly produce senior Navy leaders. Instead, his expertise lies in explosive ordnance disposal and irregular warfare. Some defense analysts see that background as a fresh and operationally grounded perspective, particularly relevant to the Navy’s current posture in the Middle East and Indo-Pacific.

Before becoming acting secretary, Cao was already leading significant internal reform efforts. He was designated as the Navy’s chief management officer, responsible for leading and synchronizing the modernization of the Navy’s unclassified IT systems and critical defense business systems. He also led an internal Department of the Navy initiative to reinforce what officials described as a “warrior ethos” across the Navy and Marine Corps.

Hung Cao’s Personal Life and Family Story

Hung Cao and his wife, April Lakata Cao, have five children together — two sons and three daughters. One of their daughters was adopted from Thailand. Two of their children are twins. April homeschooled all five children. The family lives in Purcellville, Virginia, and attends Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia.

Their story is deeply rooted in the experience of immigration and resilience. Cao has spoken openly about growing up as a refugee, understanding firsthand what it means to lose a homeland and rebuild in a new country. That personal history has shaped his worldview on national security, immigration, and American identity in ways that set him apart from many of his political contemporaries.

Why Hung Cao’s Story Matters Right Now

At a time when U.S. military leadership is shifting rapidly — with the Trump administration having replaced the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Army’s top uniformed officer, and now the Secretary of the Navy — Hung Cao’s rise to acting Secretary is a significant moment.

He is the first person of Vietnamese descent to lead the Department of the Navy. His journey from refugee to the top of one of the world’s most powerful naval institutions is genuinely extraordinary, regardless of your political views.

Whether you see him as a qualified and mission-focused military leader or a politically controversial figure with unanswered questions from his Senate campaign, his impact on the Navy during this period will be worth watching closely. The Navy faces real operational pressures right now, and the acting secretary’s decisions in the coming weeks and months will matter.

Conclusion

Hung Cao’s story is not a simple one. It stretches from a refugee camp in 1975 to the halls of the Pentagon in 2026. He built a decorated 25-year career in the Navy, stepped into politics and experienced both wins and losses, survived serious campaign controversies, and ultimately landed one of the most consequential roles in the U.S. military establishment.

His ascent to acting Secretary of the Navy puts him at the center of American defense at an especially volatile moment in global affairs.

What do you think about Hung Cao’s journey? Does his background make him the right person to lead the Department of the Navy right now? Share your thoughts, or pass this article along to someone who follows defense policy or Virginia politics.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hung Cao

1. Who is Hung Cao? Hung Cao is a retired U.S. Navy captain, former Republican political candidate, and current acting United States Secretary of the Navy. He was born in Vietnam in 1971 and came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1975.

2. What is Hung Cao’s current job in 2026? As of April 22, 2026, Hung Cao serves as the acting Secretary of the Navy, after the sudden departure of Secretary John C. Phelan from the Trump administration.

3. Did Hung Cao serve in combat? Yes. During his 25-year Navy career, Cao deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. He was a specialist in explosive ordnance disposal and served alongside U.S. Special Operations Forces.

4. Did Hung Cao win his Senate race? No. In November 2024, Cao lost the Virginia U.S. Senate race to Democratic incumbent Tim Kaine by a margin of approximately 54% to 45%.

5. How did Hung Cao become Under Secretary of the Navy? President Trump nominated Cao for the position on February 28, 2025. The Senate confirmed him on October 1, 2025, in a 52 to 45 vote. He was sworn in on October 3, 2025.

6. What are Hung Cao’s policy positions? Cao supports strong border security, opposes DEI programs in the military, advocates for energy independence, favors tariffs on Chinese goods, and supports leaving abortion policy to individual states.

7. Did Hung Cao receive the Purple Heart? No. Despite claiming to be “100% disabled” from combat injuries during his Senate campaign, Cao did not receive the Purple Heart or the Navy’s Combat Action Ribbon, which are typically awarded for combat injuries. He declined to clarify the discrepancy publicly.

8. Where did Hung Cao go to school? Cao was a member of the first graduating class of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1996 with a degree in ocean engineering, and earned a Master of Science in applied physics from the Naval Postgraduate School in 2008.

9. What did Hung Cao do after retiring from the Navy? After retiring in 2021, Cao became a vice president at CACI, a major U.S. government defense contractor. He then entered politics, running unsuccessfully for the House in 2022 and the Senate in 2024.

10. Is Hung Cao the first Vietnamese American to lead the Department of the Navy? Yes. Hung Cao is the first person of Vietnamese descent to serve as acting Secretary of the Navy, making his appointment a historically notable milestone.

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A professional portrait-style photo of Hung Cao in formal Navy or civilian government attire, American flag in the background, conveying military authority and public service. Suitable for use as a featured image for articles about U.S. military leadership and defense policy.

Author Bio

Written by: Staff Political Correspondent

A veteran political writer covering U.S. defense policy, congressional elections, and military leadership for over a decade. Specializes in translating complex government and military topics into clear, reader-friendly reporting. Based in Washington, D.C.

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Email: johanharwen314@gmail.com
Author Name: Johan Harwen