Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao delivers remarks to sailors and Marines at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, in September 2026. President Donald Trump nominated Cao to the SECNAV post in early September, but he must first receive a waiver allowing recently retired military officers to serve in government roles. (US Marine Corps/Sgt. DeMontae Stovall)

How the USS Abraham Lincoln Could Sink Hung Cao’s Navy Secretary Bid

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Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao is seeking formal Senate confirmation to the position—but will face questions over the morale crisis aboard the long-deployed supercarrier, among other issues.

As of Wednesday, it has been 154 days, or just over five months, since Secretary of the Navy John Phelan was abruptly ousted from his position. Phelan’s firing came after he clashed with Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg over the shipbuilding pace and strategy. There was speculation that Phelan’s failure to deliver the proposed Trump-class battleship on the timeline that President Donald Trump called for may have played a role in his ouster.

Now, another capital ship—or at least the high-profile reports of its troubles this past summer—could sink the chances of Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao to formally succeed Phelan in the Navy’s top post. Cao, formerly Phelan’s deputy, has served as the acting secretary since his departure, and was formally nominated to succeed him in early September.

Carrier Woes Remain Front and Center for the US Navy

The US Navy’s fifth Nimitz-class supercarrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), was in the media spotlight after it was reported in August that sailors were suffering from low morale. At the time, the nuclear-powered flattop had remained at sea for more than 250 days without a port visit.........

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