Hung Cao V A
WTF?!
---
beast 8 26
Military families confronted Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao over conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln and the lack of a clear date for its crew to return home.
About 200 relatives of sailors and Marines attended a meeting on Thursday with Cao at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego, where they raised concerns about mental health, food and supply shortages, water quality and problems receiving mail, MS Now reports. Some spouses were in tears as they pressed Navy officials for answers.
Deployment hit 259 days as of Friday.COSTAS METAXAKIS/AFP via Getty Images
Cao has served as the Navy’s top civilian since April, when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Navy Secretary John Phelan after the two repeatedly clashed.
Thursday’s meeting was focused on the conditions facing the roughly 5,000 sailors and Marines aboard the Lincoln.
Cao took the top role following the abrupt departure and removal of the previous Secretary, John PhelanTom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Imag
One parent said her daughter felt she was never going to come home and believed she would die aboard the ship. Another woman questioned the mission itself, saying she found it difficult to be proud of her sailor because she believed the military was “killing innocent civilians.” Her comments were met with applause.
The Lincoln left San Diego on Nov. 21 and had been deployed for 259 days as of Friday. The carrier spent 208 consecutive days at sea before making a brief stop in Oman on July 7, setting a modern-day record during the ongoing war with Iran.
Families feel “confused” and “frustrated” not knowing when their loved ones will return home.U.S. Navy/Getty Images
Cao told families that the USS Theodore Roosevelt strike group is being prepared to deploy to the Middle East and relieve the Lincoln. But he could not say when that would happen, citing operational security.
The uncertainty has left families waiting as their loved ones miss major events at home, including births and funerals.
Donald Trump selected Hung Cao to be the Under Secretary of the Navy.Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
“My husband has gotten no time with her,” one spouse said of her baby, who was born during the deployment.
“We have friends that are on this boat as well that - they have yet to meet their children,” she continued. “And I just think, like, a lot of us are kind of confused and just feeling frustrated that right now we’re in limbo of not having a date to come home.”
The war in Iran has entered its 23rd week.U.S. Navy/Getty Images
Vice Admiral Douglas Verissimo acknowledged the frustration but said the Navy still could not provide a return date. “I wish we could give that to you,” he said. “We are working to finalize that, but we don’t have that right now.”
Families also raised concerns about exhaustion and the mental health of the crew as the war with Iran nears its 23rd week. Navy officials said deployment-resilience counselors and chaplains are available aboard the carrier.
Top General Secretly Seeks Iran War Exit Behind Trump’s BackOFF-RAMP AHEAD
“We hear you loud and clear the impact this has on families, on service members, and the long-term ability of us to stand, sustain our forces’ health,” Vice Admiral Joseph Cahill said.
There were also questions about living conditions aboard the ship. Navy leaders acknowledged that a “stubborn clog” caused toilets in one area of the carrier to stop working for an extended period. They said what some sailors believed was mold in showers could actually be mildew caused by poor ventilation.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth demanded a new military policy to test service members for testosterone levels.JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
Cao has followed Hegseth’s lead on his push to restore a so-called “warrior ethos” in the military. Just this week, Cao ordered stricter enforcement of grooming, uniform and fitness standards across the Navy and Marine Corps, echoing Hegseth’s campaign against what he sees as “lax” military standards.
8 26
Hung Cao (born 1971) is an American politician and former military officer who has served as the acting United States secretary of the Navy since April 2026, and as the 35th United States under secretary of the Navy since 2025, having served in the branch from 1989 to 2021.[1] He was the Republican nominee for Virginia's 10th congressional district in 2022 and the U.S. Senate in 2024.[2][3]
In February 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Cao to the position of United States under secretary of the Navy.[4] After being confirmed by the Senate, Cao was sworn in on October 3, 2025.[5] On April 22, 2026, he became the acting United States secretary of the Navy after the removal of John Phelan.[6]
Early life and career
Cao as commanding officer of the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in 2015
Hung Cao (Vietnamese: Cao Hùng)[7] was born in 1971 in Saigon, South Vietnam.[8] His father, Quan Cao (Vietnamese: Cao Quản),[9] from Quảng Trị province, worked in South Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and was assistant to the deputy prime minister.[10] Quan Cao had been an international student in the Philippines having been granted a scholarship from the Rockefeller Foundation, before earning a Ph.D. at Cornell University.[11] In 1975, at age 4, Hung Cao went to the United States with his family as refugees.[12]
Cao spent some of his childhood living in Niger, where his father served as an agricultural specialist for USAID. He returned to the U.S. at age 12 and was a student of the first graduating class of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Virginia.[13]
Cao entered the U.S. Navy as a seaman recruit in 1989 and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1996 with a bachelor's degree in ocean engineering. A specialist in ordnance disposal and salvage diving, he led the Navy team on the USNS *Grasp* that recovered the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette, and sister-in-law Lauren Bessette after their 1999 crash off Martha's Vineyard.[14] In 2008, he received a Master's of Science in Applied Physics at the Naval Postgraduate School.[15]
As an explosive ordnance disposal/diving specialist with the Navy, Cao and his family relocated multiple times for assignments. During his final major operational tour in the Navy, Cao lived near the Naval Support Activity Panama City (September 2013 to June 2016) while he served as Commanding Officer of the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center there.[16] He was then moved to a Pentagon assignment in Washington, D.C.
Cao spent over 30 years on active duty in the Navy, retiring as a captain in October 2021. His military career encompassed operational deployments in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia.[17][18] Cao earned the Command Ashore Badge, the Navy Diving Officer Badge and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Warfare Officers Badge. Cao was a vice president of CACI, a U.S. government contractor that provides services to defense, intelligence, and homeland security agencies.[19]
In June of 2024, Cao and his wife April published a book Call Me an American: Refugee to Patriot: Lessons Learned for a Strong America[20] about his life. The book details his childhood, military service and his views on patriotism and citizenship.[21]
Congressional elections
2022 house bid
Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Virginia § District 10
Cao was a candidate in the 2022 election for Virginia's 10th district seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.[22] He cited the Biden administration's 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan as a reason he entered politics.[23] He was one of 11 candidates in the May 21 ranked-choice Republican primary. He won the election by about 2,800 votes over his nearest opponent, earning him a spot in the general election against incumbent Democrat Jennifer Wexton, who was seeking a third term.[24][22]
Cao was considered a strong candidate in a district with large populations of both Asian Americans and military families.[25] During a debate with Wexton, he expressed support for the deregulation of government across nearly all facets of life.[26] During the course of the campaign, Wexton sought to portray Hung Cao as "extreme" in comparison to the political demographics of the district, emphasizing his anti-abortion and pro-gun rights stances.[27] Cao lost the election to Wexton 53% to 47%.[28][29][30][27]
2024 Senate bid
Main article: 2024 United States Senate election in Virginia
In July 2023, Cao declared himself a candidate in the 2024 Virginia U.S. Senate race.[31][12] He received the endorsement of former president Donald Trump.[32][33] On June 18, 2024, Cao won the Republican primary by a wide margin, receiving 61.8% of the vote in a five-candidate race.[34]
During his Senate campaign in 2023, Cao said "witchcraft" had taken over Monterey, California and he did not want that to happen to Virginia.[35][36] In the same interview, Cao also said "I'm African American because I grew up in Africa, too," referring to a few years spent in Niger as a child.[37]
On June 24, USA Today reported that Cao had claimed in campaign appearances that "I'm 100% disabled, you know, because just from being blown up in combat many times." But he had not received either the Purple Heart or the Navy's Combat Action Ribbon, both of which would normally have been awarded to someone injured by enemy action. Cao declined the newspaper's request for clarification about his injuries.[38]
He advanced to the November 5 general election, facing incumbent senator Tim Kaine.[39] Kaine defeated Cao 54% to 45%.[40][41]
Under Secretary of the Navy (2025-present)
On February 28, 2025, President Donald Trump nominated Cao to be Under Secretary of the Navy, the navy's number two position, which requires Senate confirmation.[42][43][44] On October 1, 2025, Cao was confirmed by the Senate in a 52–45 vote (with three abstaining).[45] Every Republican senator, with the exception of Lisa Murkowski, voted to confirm him, while every Democratic senator opposed his nomination, with the exception of Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Brian Schatz, who were not present.[46]
On October 3, 2025, Cao was sworn in as Under Secretary of the Navy by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.[47]
Cao was reportedly often excluded from the decision-making process by Secretary of the Navy John Phelan and was not permitted to represent him in meetings he did not attend.[48]
Acting Secretary of the Navy (2026–present)
Hung visiting Vietnam in 2026
On April 22, 2026, Cao became the acting United States Secretary of the Navy after the departure of John Phelan.[49][6] On July 21, 2026, Cao awarded the Navy Unit Commendation to the crew of the USS Charlotte stating, “The most powerful weapons in our Navy are often the ones never seen—and never heard. This recognition reflects their professionalism, discipline, and unwavering dedication to the mission.”[50] The Charlotte was the navy ship that was credited with sinking an Iranian warship the IRIS Dena.
Personal life
Cao and his wife April Lakata Cao have two sons and three daughters, one adopted from Thailand and a pair of twins,[51] all of whom were homeschooled by April.[52] The Caos live in Purcellville, Virginia,[51] and attend Cornerstone Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia.[53]
Military awards
...
-=-=
AN 8 26
Trump often attacks Democrats as being unsupportive of the military — a claim they aggressively push back against. But five and one-half months into the war with Iran, officers serving in the U.S. Navy are, according to i Paper reporter Simon Marks, feeling increasingly frustrated and feel like Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth are turning their backs on them.
"Families say the mental health of sailors is now at immediate risk," Marks reports in the UK-based i Paper. "They reported at least one incident in which a crew member was prevented by his colleagues from jumping overboard."
Marks describes conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, a warship where the crew is "plagued with a potentially deadly morale problem."
"Back in April, barely a month into Donald Trump's war with Iran, sailors serving on the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier started grousing on social media about dwindling food supplies," Marks explains. "Images sent to spouses and parents were leaked to the media and appeared to support claims that the ship's supplies were coming under growing pressure. Some 'meals' consisted of little more than a handful of boiled carrots and two dried-out slices of unidentifiable meat. Sailors aboard the nearby USS Tripoli were also lodging similar complaints. At the time, Hegseth denied any problems existed, claiming that the vessels had more than 30 days of food supplies for their crews ... But four months later, the crisis has intensified."
Marks, noting recent reporting from the Stars and Stripes, points out that families of U.S. Navy members addressed their worries during a recent town hall event in San Diego.
"Families reportedly warned Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao that they were increasingly fearful of suicides among the men and women serving aboard the carrier, which has been at sea for more than 250 consecutive days, more than 40 of them engaged in combat with Iran," Marks writes. "Last month, the Lincoln set a new record, having spent longer continuously at sea without a port call than any U.S. aircraft carrier in history…. The 5000 men and women aboard the carrier say food and basic hygiene supplies are running low, physical and mental exhaustion is setting in, and letters and care packages sent from home have failed to reach the ship for months."
A U.S. Navy member quoted in the Stars and Stripes warned, "Our mental health and physical health is in danger. We need help."
-=-=
10/06/2025 RWW
by
- Liberty Counsel declares that "the 'queer' movement seeks to silence and punish ALL Christians for their faith, and Obergefell is the source of their attacks": "Obergefell is the cancer, and it must go. It is incompatible with reality, biology, and religious freedom."
- Todd Starnes claims that Democrats "wish they could kill Republicans, piss on their graves and then force Republican mothers to watch as their children are slaughtered": "The Democrat Party is the Party of Satan."
- Mario Murillo says that "convincing preachers to stay out of politics was the masterstroke of the Devil."
- Tyler O'Neil of The Daily Signal reports that he has been speaking with member of Congress about launching investigations into the Southern Poverty Law Center, which MAGA has been targeting in the wake of the murder of Charlie Kirk.
- Finally, Hung Cao, who asserted that Wiccans had taken over California and brought "a lot of witchcraft" to the state while warning that "we can't let that happen in Virginia" during his failed Senate campaign in 2024, is now Under Secretary of the Navy.
---
rww 3 25
Republican candidate Hung Cao tells Christian nationalist Sean Feucht that he's running for the US Senate in Virginia because wiccans have taken over parts of California and now there is "a lot of witchcraft" and "we can't let that happen in Virginia."
omfg
GOP U.S. Senate nominee from Virginia promoted candidacy on show that has repeatedly called for political violence
WRITTEN BY ERIC HANANOKI
PUBLISHED 07/19/24
Hung Cao, a commentator and the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Virginia, recently appeared on the show of Josh Bernstein, an extremist who has called for the executions of numerous political figures and said that “there’s going to be another civil war” where “they’re trying to kill us here, so we’re going to have to fight them.” During the interview, Cao asked for campaign donations and received Bernstein’s “100%” endorsement.
Cao is an author who won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Virginia. He recently spoke at the Republican National Convention. He also appeared as a commentator on Fox News prior to running for Senate.
He appeared on the June 22 edition of The Josh Bernstein Show, which streams online. Bernstein is a conspiracy theorist and extremist who states on his website:
Leftist Radicals brazenly stole our elections with the help of many crooked Republicans.
And now America is ruled by a Geriatric corrupt Puppet bought and paid for by the Chinese Communist Party who unleashed a virus on America and the World in order to gain world domination.
But 80 million of us are fighting back! We will NEVER back down! We will NEVER shut up! We will NEVER relent! And we will NEVER Comply!
Welcome to the Counter-Intelligence Center of America’s Second Revolution!
During the interview, Bernstein and Cao both attacked Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), Cao’s opponent in the race. Toward the conclusion of the interview, Bernstein told Cao: “Look, I really hope that you win this race. I will say this right now, proudly here on JBUShow.com, I 100% fully endorse you.” Cao responded by asking for campaign donations and said that he needs the support of Bernstein’s audience.
Video
CitationFrom the June 22, 2024, edition of The Josh Bernstein Show
Cao was receiving an endorsement from someone who has repeatedly promoted political violence, as Right Wing Watch has documented. For instance:
- Bernstein said that former presidential medical adviser Anthony Fauci “deserves to be sodomized every single day in a prison cell for the rest of his life.”
- Bernstein said of the state of the country: “We now have the Nazi regime here in America, and they’re trying to kill us here, so we’re going to have to fight them, unfortunately, here in America. And that’s why there’s going to be another civil war. I don’t know when it’s going to happen. But it’s almost a guaranteed certain going to happen.”
- Bernstein said: “The blood of patriots and tyrants could be coming, and it's going to be hopefully a lot more tyrants than patriots."
- Bernstein said that Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) “is a worthless pile of shit” and that “this bitch should be executed.”
- Right Wing Watch wrote that Bernstein said he wants “to see Joe Biden and ‘these bastards hang by the neck until it cracks’ or else the American people will take matters into their own hands.”
- Bernstein said that “James Comey, Andrew McCabe, all of them, they’re all guilty.” He then stated: “They should be swinging from nooses at halftime at the next Super Bowl. That’s what they should be doing.”
- Bernstein commented on a Washington state gun safety law and said he’s “a huge supporter of the police and law enforcement” but then said: “I’ll tell you right now, I won’t shed one tear — not one tear — if I find out that an officer is wounded or killed trying to confiscate weapons from law-abiding citizens in any state.”
During a July 2023 broadcast, Bernstein hosted U.S. Senate candidate Kari Lake, who told the extremist host that Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs of Arizona “should be pulled out by her collar” for supposedly committing fraud. Bernstein agreed with Lake, saying that “you are correct” that she was “fraudulently selected.”
---