Trump Declares Four Months In Office Equal Senate Confirmation
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he will nominate acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao to become permanent Navy secretary, formalizing a new administration doctrine under which remaining inside a federal agency long enough constitutes both experience and democratic consent. Cao, a retired Navy captain and 25-year veteran, has led the department since April, easily exceeding the White House’s principal qualifications of answering emails, retaining building access and not accidentally deploying the Atlantic Fleet against Delaware.
“The old system was very unfair,” Trump said. “You had acting people, permanent people, confirmed people and people waiting for hearings. Hung stayed there for months, the ships are still floating, and nobody knows the Navy better than someone who already has the office key.” The president said Cao’s continued presence had rendered further vetting largely ceremonial, noting that any hidden disqualifications would presumably have emerged during a staff meeting, an elevator ride or one of the Pentagon’s mandatory group photographs.
The nomination marks a breakthrough for an administration determined to eliminate wasteful transitions between temporary officials and the same temporary officials with better stationery. Rather than locate, vet and install a new secretary, Trump selected the official already located, partially vetted and installed, saving taxpayers millions of dollars in orientation binders, replacement nameplates and handshakes with admirals. Cao previously served as Navy undersecretary and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, credentials expected to trouble administration traditionalists who prefer nominees to discover their agencies through television appearances after confirmation.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth endorsed the streamlined process, which could soon permit every acting official to secure permanent status by waiting quietly until Trump remembers the vacancy. The Senate must technically confirm Cao, although White House officials said lawmakers could save time by recognizing the administration’s simpler constitutional standard: Any appointee who occupies the same office for 120 days, keeps the parking pass and learns the Wi-Fi password has received the enduring mandate of the American people.
* None of the quotes in this article were spoken by an actual person. More info.