Trump Appoints Special Forces Combat Veteran to Key Post

Dog tag and American flag honoring veterans.

(VitalNews.org) – Thrusting a staunch conservative into a pivotal role of naval leadership, President Donald Trump has appointed former Navy Captain Hung Cao as the Under Secretary of the Navy.

See the tweet below.

The Vietnam refugee and 25-year Special Operations officer will help restore military readiness after years of Biden’s DEI agenda undermining our armed forces.

Cao’s appointment signals Trump’s commitment to rebuilding America’s naval power with warriors instead of social justice activists.

Trump praised Cao as “the embodiment of the American Dream” when announcing the nomination of the former Navy captain who previously ran for both Congress and Senate in Virginia.

“As a refugee to our Great Nation, Hung worked tirelessly to make proud the Country that gave his family a home,” Trump said.

The appointment represents a sharp departure from the diversity-focused military leadership that characterized the Biden administration, with Cao being an outspoken critic of DEI initiatives that prioritize identity politics over combat effectiveness.

Moreover, his military credentials are impeccable, having served as a Special Operations Officer for 25 years, including combat deployments and Pentagon experience.

As a United States Naval Academy graduate with a Master’s Degree in Physics, he brings both intellectual rigor and battlefield experience to the role of the Navy’s second-in-command.

During his unsuccessful Senate campaign against Democrat Tim Kaine, Cao gained national attention for advocating military recruitment focused on capability rather than identity politics.

He specifically called for recruiting “alpha males and alpha females” who can meet the physical and mental demands of military service rather than lowering standards to meet artificial diversity quotas.

Cao’s personal story is particularly powerful. His family fled Vietnam in 1975 following the fall of Saigon.

His appointment comes as the Navy faces increasing challenges from China in the South China Sea, Russia in European waters, and ongoing threats in the Middle East.

President Trump has directed the military to eliminate DEI programs introduced under the Biden administration, viewing them as distractions from the core mission of national defense.

Cao’s appointment reflects this priority shift back toward military readiness over social engineering experiments that many military experts believe have damaged recruitment, retention, and overall combat effectiveness.

The nomination will require Senate approval, where Cao is expected to face questioning from Democrats who have championed DEI initiatives.

This appointment is in pairs with Trump’s Secretary of the Navy nominee, businessman John Phelan, who faced Senate questioning on shipbuilding priorities.

While Phelan brings private sector efficiency, Cao provides the military expertise necessary for effective naval leadership.

With China rapidly expanding its navy and threatening Taiwan, Russia challenging NATO in the Atlantic, and Iran threatening commercial shipping in the Middle East, restoring the U.S. Navy’s combat focus could not come at a more critical time.

Cao’s appointment represents Trump’s commitment to putting America’s security ahead of progressive social agendas that have weakened our military posture during the Biden years.