Hung Cao’s comments on witches, KKK, Holocaust resurface as he ascends to Acting Navy helm

Beyond the controversies, Cao’s promotion places a Vietnamese American at the apex of U.S. naval leadership during a war with Iran.

Apr 27, 2026

∙ Paid

Hung Cao, the highest-ranking Vietnamese American in the Trump administration, has been elevated to acting secretary of the Navy, prompting renewed scrutiny of past remarks invoking witches, the Ku Klux Klan and the Holocaust.

A turbulent path to the Pentagon

Cao, a 54-year-old refugee and retired Navy captain, took over the p…

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