President Trump said on Tuesday he would be nominating Hung Cao for Navy Secretary after the predecessor to the role stepped down in April. The president announced his pick on Truth Social Tuesday night, saying “We need Patriots like Hung leading our Navy and Marine Corps, and I can think of no one better than...
Page A6From§Eachthe late evening edition — 1 September 2026
Hung Cao nominated as Navy Secretary after four months as acting, hailed as ‘true warrior’
Hung Cao, after four months as acting Navy Secretary, is officially nominated by President Trump and hailed as a ‘true warrior.’ This is how the system is supposed to work: trial by fire, then formal recognition. Four months isn’t too long, is it? It’s just enough to prove you can handle the job—or at least handle the waiting period. The title comes with the territory, and the territory is the Navy. The process is streamlined, not rushed; the nomination is earned, not bestowed. Or is it? Maybe the four months was just the paperwork catching up. That’s all part of the system—sometimes the paperwork moves slower than the ships. Did I say paperwork? I meant the vetting. Yes, the vetting. The vetting is thorough, and the result is a ‘true warrior’ at the helm. That’s the official line, and the official line is the only one that matters, until it isn’t. The wait proves the worth; the worth is proven by the wait. Or was it just a formality? No, it’s definitely about merit. Merit, not formality. That’s the nomination process, and the process works. The next headline will say so.
“They spent four months testing the waters, then call it a triumph when the same guy gets the job. That's not a search, that's just waiting until the clock runs out. The stakes are who actually steers the ship.”
“Four months is a reasonable trial period. You want someone proven, not just anyone. If he's a 'true warrior,' that's exactly what we need! Did I say 'just anyone'? No, that's not fair. Anyway, the process works.”
The receipts
Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain and special operations veteran, has led the Department of the Navy for four months as President Trump now seeks Senate confirmation.
This page is a back-issue: the story as it ran, receipts as they were. The current edition is at the front.