The Biden administrations latest shake-up at the top of the U.
S. Navy has elevated a battle-tested patriot, Hung Cao, to Acting Secretary of the Navyand Democrats have responded not with substantive criticism, but with juvenile mockery.
According to RedState, Secretary of the Navy John Phelan has departed, and Undersecretary Hung Cao has stepped in as Acting Secretary, bringing with him a rsum that stands in stark contrast to the identity-politics obsessions of the modern Left. As my RedState colleague Jennifer Oliver OConnell explained, Caos background is tailor-made for serious leadership at the Pentagon, not social-media snark. Under Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao will move into the role of Acting Secretary of the Navy, and will no doubt further the work started by Phelan. She noted that Cao is a retired Navy Captain and Special Operations Officer (Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Deep Sea Diving) who has seen deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Somalia.
Caos 25 years of active-duty service, including high-risk special operations assignments, give him a credibility that few in Washington can match. He served active duty for 25 years before his retirement, and was a candidate for U.S. Senate for Virginia in 2024 before being nominated and confirmed as Under Secretary of the Navy, a trajectory that underscores both his commitment to the country and his willingness to continue serving in public life.
For many conservatives, his Senate campaign showcased not only his record but his character and love of country. What a wonderful thing it is to have a person at the top who loves America, has fought for us, and who gets it, one commentator observed, calling his Senate spot one of the finest Senate campaign ads ever, in my opinion, although he didn't win.
Caos rise also reflects President Donald Trumps continued influence on national security appointments and his preference for leaders with real-world experience rather than Beltway polish. As one viral post put it, ?? JUST IN: Trump names HUNG CAO the U.S. Under Secretary of the Navy. This guy is BADA*S. This was his U.S. Senate campaign launch for Virginia in the 2024 election. TRUMP: Hung is the embodiment of the American Dream. That sentiment captures why many on the Right see Cao as the antithesis of the bureaucratic, DEI-driven mindset that has seeped into the Pentagon.
Fortunately, Cao can now serve us in this important role, the same commentary added, reflecting a sense of relief that someone with genuine operational experience is now at the helm. Yet instead of engaging with his record, Democrats chose to attack him on social media with a petty, mocking post. But Democrats, being Democrats, had to make a post attacking him, the piece noted. They didn't talk about his great service to our country or his academic achievements. Instead, this is what they posted about him. ?? https://t.co/mNuPG9ZJA2
The target of their ridicule was not policy, not competence, but his physical staturean odd line of attack from a party that constantly lectures Americans on respect and sensitivity. So let's start with the fact that former Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R), at 6'7, is extremely tall. And yes, Cao is shorter than that, so what? the commentary asked, pointing out that He's probably achieved more in his life with his sterling career than any of the Democrats behind this social media account.
The post went further, highlighting the ugly double standard at play. Are the Democrats really trying to mock the height of an Asian man? Yes, they are, the writer argued. The folks who are always preaching about how to treat people show once again that they are the horrible people and flat-out racists. They not only appear to be mocking his height, but, putting it politely, questioning his manhood with that emoji.
Such behavior exposes how shallow the Lefts rhetoric on tolerance and inclusivity truly is when partisan advantage is at stake. It shows that they really don't care about those principles they claim to care about; they'll jump right to a racist attack if they think it serves their political purposes, the piece observed. So much for the party of tolerance and inclusivity. If Cao were a Democrat appointed by Joe Biden, they'd be celebrating that he got the position. They're hypocrites, in addition to being racist.
The episode also raises questions about why major Democratic donors continue to bankroll a party apparatus that spends its time on schoolyard taunts instead of serious governance. As one critic dryly remarked, Remarkable Democratic donors arent rushing to refill the coffers of the DNC when its being so useful like this https://t.co/lgWc1Ot7Qe. That frustration reflects a broader conservative view that the Democratic Party has become more interested in performative outrage than in national security or merit-based leadership.
By contrast, Caos record reveals a man whose life has been defined by service, sacrifice, and compassion, not social-media theatrics. This guy outclasses those Democrats any day of the week, and he's just an incredible human being, the commentary concluded, pointing to his work beyond the battlefield. Aww! ?? Nearly 15 years ago, Navy Under Secretary @HungCao_VA started a non-profit that made beeping Easter eggs for visually-impaired children so they could participate in Easter egg hunts. ?? Watch how it started and what they look like today ??: pic.twitter.com/Oq8a7IG3Ly
At a time when America faces serious threats abroad and cultural decay at home, the contrast could not be clearer: on one side, a decorated officer and immigrant who embodies the American Dream; on the other, a political machine that responds to his promotion with a sneer and a cheap emoji. For conservatives, Hung Caos elevation is a welcome reminder that competence, courage, and character still matterand that the Lefts self-appointed moral high ground is built on sand.
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