Hung Cao, a former Virginia Republican Senate candidate, was nominated by President Donald Trump on Thursday as under secretary of the U.S. Navy.
Cao, who Trump described as the “embodiment of the American Dream,” will have to be approved by the Senate to assume the role, New York Post reported Friday.
Cao’s Leadership Ideology
The former special operations officer is a vocal critic of the diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives implemented in the military during former President Joe Biden’s term. Trump instructed the military to end its DEI programs last month.
Cao, who ran as a Republican candidate for the Virginia Senate against incumbent Tim Kaine, said during a televised debate last year that military branches should recruit “alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat ’em and ask for seconds.”
When asked about the DEI’s effect on military recruitment, Cao said, “When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we want.”
“As a refugee to our great nation, Hung worked tirelessly to make proud the country that gave his family a home,” said Trump.
“With Hung’s experience both in combat and in the Pentagon, he will get the job done,” the president added.
The retired Navy captain responded to his nomination by tweeting Thursday, “It’s time to get to work.”
Cao’s Career History
Cao previously worked at CACI International as vice president of its Navy and Marine Corps business, a client executive and a solutions architect. He served in the Navy for 25 years holding a wide range of leadership positions, including division chief of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, director of counter improvised threats – combined security transition command Afghanistan and commanding officer of the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center.
