President Donald Trump announced Saturday he will nominate acting United States Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao to the position permanently. The announcement comes as the Pentagon experiences significant leadership turnover.
Trump stated on Truth Social that he believes Cao, a "Warfighter," is the best choice to lead the Navy and Marine Corps. He praised Cao's work during his four months in the acting role and urged the Senate to confirm his nomination swiftly.
"We need Patriots like Hung leading our Navy and Marine Corps, and I can think of no one better than him to make sure our Great Navy and Marine Corps remain the FIERCEST and BEST Force the World has ever seen," Trump wrote.
Cao, who has served as acting Secretary since April, requires a majority vote in the Senate to secure the permanent position. His nomination follows a period of upheaval in military leadership, including the recent resignation of Secretary of the Army Dan Driscoll. The notes provided do not detail the reasons for Driscoll's departure beyond mentioning "friction with Pete Hegseth."
The previous permanent Secretary of the Navy, John C. Phelan, was removed from his post in April. According to reporting, Phelan's departure stemmed from a disagreement with Trump over the president's proposal to build a "Golden Fleet" of new military vessels. A source told The New York Post that the administration sought to accelerate the shipbuilding program, and the former secretary was perceived as unable to meet those goals.
The "Golden Fleet" initiative, as described by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, envisions the construction of a new class of nuclear-capable battleships, referred to as "Trump-class" vessels, with an estimated tonnage between 30,000 and 40,000 tons.