Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao joked to Steve Bannon about wanting a KKK hood
After Navy Secretary John Phelan's abrupt April 2026 departure, Under Secretary Hung Cao (a failed 2024 Virginia Senate candidate) became Acting Secretary of the Navy, as reported by USNI News and NPR. Resurfaced video from his Senate campaign shows Cao joking to Steve Bannon about wanting a KKK hood with eye 'slits' instead of circles, warning that 'witchcraft' had taken over parts of California, and claiming to be 'African American' because he lived in Niger as a child. A USA Today investigation separately found his military service record does not show him receiving the Purple Heart or Combat Action Ribbon, contradicting his account of a combat injury.
Confirms Cao's appointment as Acting SECNAV.
Confirms Phelan's exit and Cao's elevation.
Investigation into Cao's military record found no Purple Heart or Combat Action Ribbon; includes Cao's Facebook response.
Confirms witchcraft comments, KKK hood joke, and African-American/Niger claim; notes Navy did not respond to request for comment.
Confirms KKK hood quote and identifies original video as a 2024 Real America's Voice/Steve Bannon interview.
Raw footage of Cao's own on-camera KKK hood remark; this is the origin post the Instagram story is based on, not an independent second source.
Contacted and responded — exact wording not on record.
President Trump announced he was formally nominating Acting Secretary Hung Cao to be Secretary of the Navy and urged the Senate to confirm him quickly; no confirmation hearing had been scheduled. Source ↗