Trump official refuses to back down on cannibalism remarks when cornered in Congress

A Trump administration official doubled down on a "head-turning claim" he previously made during a congressional hearing on Thursday, The Daily Beast reported.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao was testifying before the House Armed Services Committee on the Department of the Navy's FY2027 budget request when Rep. Chrissy Houlahan mentioned "interesting" comments that he made in a 2024 debate during his failed GOP Senate run.

"You said, 'what we need is alpha male and alpha females who are going to rip out their guts, eat them, and ask for seconds—those are young men and women that are going to win wars,'" Houlahan said. "Mr. Secretary, did you say that, and do you stand by that?"

Cao didn't shy away from responding to the bizarre remarks.

"Absolutely, ma'am, I did say that, and I stand by it," Cao said.

Cao made the original remarks during an October 2024 televised debate against Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine at Norfolk State University, where he was responding to a question about his criticism of the military's diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. A retired Navy captain who served in special operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, Cao was appointed Acting Secretary of the Navy in April after Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth abruptly ousted his predecessor, John Phelan.

Cao lost the Virginia Senate race to Kaine by nine points.