Cao becomes the 10th person to hold the role during Trump’s presidency, following the abrupt dismissal of John Phelan. This appointment has drawn attention for his past statements and an unconventional public record. In a 2023 interview with right-wing pastor Sean Feucht, Cao claimed that a location in Monterey, California, has been “taken over”by witches.
He said, “We can’t let it turn like this….Monterey is a very dark place now, a lot of witchcraft and the Wiccan community has really taken over. We can’t let that happen to Virginia.” Cao also criticized the Navy, often jokingly referred to as the gayest branch of the military, for its 2023 decision to hire a drag queen, Harpy Daniels, to be a face of the Navy as a digital ambassador. He stated that the military should focus on recruiting “alpha males and alpha females.”
Additional questions have been raised about Cao’s military record. A review by USA Today found no evidence supporting that he was “blown up” in combat, as he claimed while on the 2024 campaign trail. Cao is a Republican who previously ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2022 and the Senate in 2024. Cao’s appointment comes amid broader debates over leadership, representation, and rhetoric within the U.S. military.
