US Navy Secretary John Phelan steps down: Meet Hung Cao, Vietnam refugee and Trump ally taking charge

The Secretary of the Navy, John C. Phelan, has stepped down from his role in the Trump administration. His departure is “effective immediately”, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a social media post on Wednesday, April 22.

"On behalf of the Secretary of War and Deputy Secretary of War, we are grateful to Secretary Phelan for his service to the Department and the United States Navy," Parnell wrote. "We wish him well in his future endeavors."

With no reason given for the exit, attention has now shifted to his successor Hung Cao.

Who is Hung Cao the new acting Navy Secretary

Hung Cao, the current Navy Undersecretary, will now serve as acting chief of the US Navy. A 25-year Navy veteran, Cao stepped into the Undersecretary role in October 2025. He oversees nearly one million Navy, Marine Corps, and civilian personnel, along with an annual budget exceeding $250 billion.

He also serves as the Department’s Senior Defense Official for Guam, managing infrastructure development tied to military operations.


From refugee to top Pentagon role, Cao’s journey stands out. He arrived in the United States in 1975 as a Vietnamese refugee after the fall of Saigon. His family later moved to West Africa before settling in Northern Virginia when he was 12.

During his Senate campaign, he recalled his past: “I'm Hung Cao. My family was one of the last to escape Saigon before it fell to the Communists.’

In the campaign video, he compared Cold War-era Vietnam to Joe Biden's administration. “We are losing our country,” Cao said. “You know it. But you also know that you can’t say it. We’re forced to say that wrong is right. We’re forced to lie.”


His campaign speech was loaded with speeches showing gratitude for the country that made him successful. “AMERICA SAVED MY LIFE,” he recalled in the video.

A strong political voice

Cao ran for the US Senate in Virginia in 2024 with backing from Donald Trump but lost to Democratic Senator Tim Kaine.

His campaign messaging was direct and polarizing. In one speech, he said: “Don’t come to this country and ask for the American dream if you’re not willing to obey the American laws and embrace the American culture!”

Supporting the MAGA movement and sailing on his family’s struggle, he continued, “We came to this country with NOTHING. We asked nothing from this country… together, we will make America great again!”

Military career and expertise

Cao joined the Navy in 1989 as a Seaman Recruit and was later commissioned as a Special Operations Officer from the United States Naval Academy in 1996.

He served as a Navy Diver and Explosive Ordnance Disposal Officer, leading missions across Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia. In his final role, he handled sensitive operations, including counter-drone missions and intelligence support for global military commands. He retired in 2021 as a Captain.

Phelan’s departure marks the latest in a string of high-level exits in recent months, coming at a time of heightened tensions linked to the US-Israel war with Iran and the Strait of Hormuz blockade.