Trump picks new deputy commerce secretary and under-secretary of the Navy

President Donald Trump filled a couple more important roles in his administration - namely that of deputy secretary of commerce and that of under-secretary of the Navy. 

Trump, according to Fox News, named his selection for these roles on Thursday evening.

For the under-secretary of the Navy position, Trump chose Hung Cao, the former Virginia congressional candidate.

And, for the deputy secretary of commerce position, Trump chose Paul Dabbar, the former under-secretary of energy for science.

"I am pleased to announce..."

Trump named his selections in two messages that he posted on Truth Social on Thursday evening.

In the messages, he provided some background information about the two men.

Regarding Dabbar, Trump wrote:

Paul will work closely with our Great Secretary of Commerce, Howard Lutnick, to bring back American Leadership in Global Commerce, Trade, and Technology. Paul served as my Under Secretary of Energy for Science, where he lead the National Labs that started as the Manhattan Project, helping to drive semiconductors, AI, quantum, Energy Dominance, and our War-fighting capabilities. Previously, Paul was a Nuclear Submarine Officer, and is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and Columbia University. Congratulations Paul!

Trump posted a similar message about Cao.

The president wrote:

Hung is the embodiment of the American Dream. As a refugee to our Great Nation, Hung worked tirelessly to make proud the Country that gave his family a home. He went to our amazing United States Naval Academy, and later earned his Master’s Degree in Physics. Hung served in combat as a Special Operations Officer for twenty five years. With Hung’s experience both in combat, and in the Pentagon, he will get the job done. Congratulations to Hung, and his wonderful family!

More details:

More information about these individuals has been provided by Fox.

Starting with Cao, Fox reports:

Cao, who came to the U.S. in 1975 after his family escaped Vietnam shortly before the fall of Saigon, most recently ran for U.S. Senate in Virginia against Democrat Sen. Tim Kaine during the 2024 election, losing to the incumbent senator. He was endorsed by Trump during the race. He retired from the Navy as a captain after 25 years in Special Operations. While Cao served in combat roles, he also worked at the Pentagon and was assigned to balancing the Navy's $140 billion budget.

Cao has released a statement, following Trump's selection of him, saying that he is ready to "get to work."

Dabbar, according to Fox, also has a military background. Per the outlet:

Dabbar, who worked in Trump's Department of Energy during his first term, served in the Navy as a submarine officer and spent years after his military career working in the energy sector as a managing director at J.P. Morgan.

It would appear that these are two more solid additions to Trump's team.