(AFP) – US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he would nominate acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao for the permanent position. Trump said he could think of “no one better” to be the US Navy’s top civilian leader.
“We need Patriots like Hung leading our Navy and Marine Corps,” he wrote on Truth Social, calling for the Senate to confirm his choice as quickly as possible. The Pentagon announced in April the departure of Cao’s predecessor, John Phelan, without providing an explanation for the sudden exit.
Since returning to office in January, Trump has overseen a purge of top military personnel. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll submitted his resignation on Monday, following reports of tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hung Cao was born in Vietnam and resettled as a refugee in the United States in 1975. He retired from the Navy five years ago. In 2022, he failed in his bid to be elected to the US Congress as a Republican in Virginia.
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