Hung Cao, Who Helped Recover JFK Jr.’s Body After Plane Crash, Confirmed As Undersecretary Of The Navy

Another Trump nominee has been confirmed.

Former Navy Captain Hung Cao has been officially confirmed to serve as the Under Secretary of the Navy.

Cao was nominated by President Trump in February shortly after he lost his senate race against Senator Tim Kaine.

WUSA 9 reported more details on Cao’s confirmation:

Hung Cao is now the Under Secretary of the Navy.

Cao was nominated in February by President Trump after losing the Senate race against Senator Tim Kaine. This role is the Navy’s second-highest ranking official.

“Hung is the embodiment of the American Dream. As a refugee to our Great Nation, Hung worked tirelessly to make proud the Country that gave his family a home,” Trump said on Thursday. “With Hung’s experience both in combat and in the Pentagon, he will get the job done. Congratulations to Hung, and his wonderful family!”

A Navy captain from Loudoun County, Cao has served in the branch for 25 years.

Cao made a name for himself nationally as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2024, running against incumbent Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine and stumping for Trump’s presidential campaign at the Republican National Convention and while Trump made campaign stops in the commonwealth.

As a candidate, Cao criticized what he described as the Navy’s, “diversity, equity and inclusion” efforts.

“When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we want,” Cao said during a debate with Kaine in October 2024. “What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them, and ask for seconds. Those are the young men and women that are going to win wars.”

Sen. Kaine went on to defeat Cao in that race; 54.3% to 45.4%.

Cao also ran for office in Virginia’s 10th US Congressional district in 2022, losing to former Democratic Rep. Jennifer Wexton; 53.2% to 46.7%. That seat is now held by Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam.

John Phelan, a major donor to Trump’s 2024 campaign was the president’s nominee for Secretary of The Navy. A businessman and art collector, Phelan notably has not served in the military.

Phelan faced a U.S. Senate confirmation hearing earlier Thursday, that featured questioning from Cao’s former election opponent, Sen. Kaine.