Trump’s Pick to Lead The Navy Is a Walking Red Flag

Trump’s Pick to Lead The Navy Is a Walking Red Flag

From Bulwark Takes by The Bulwark

April 25, 2026 · 15 min · Episode 793

About this episode

The episode discusses Trump's new acting Navy secretary, Hung Cao, and his controversial statements and beliefs.

Sam Stein and Jared Poland give their takes on Trump’s new acting Navy secretary, Hung Cao. From viral podcast clips to resurfaced campaign interviews, Cao leans hard into “alpha male” rhetoric, conspiracy-adjacent claims about witches, and extreme takes on immigration, NATO, and the military. It’s a wild collection of moments, including comments about “peeing standing up,” calling ICE on people, and KKK hoods. Cao’s rise to the top ranks of the Pentagon raise serious questions about judgment and leadership under Pete Hegseth. Get tickets for our Bulwark Live shows in San Diego and LA in May: https://thebulwark.com/events

People in this episode

Host: Sam Stein

Guest: Jared Poland

Topics covered

  • Trump administration
  • Navy leadership
  • alpha male rhetoric
  • immigration policy
  • military leadership
  • conspiracy theories

Keywords

  • Hung Cao
  • Navy secretary
  • Trump
  • alpha male
  • immigration
  • NATO
  • military
  • conspiracy
  • leadership

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NATO, ICE, KKK, Pete Hegseth

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