Trump-Endorsed Navy SEAL Wins GOP Senate Primary In Virginia

The MAGA movement may soon have another star in the U.S. Senate after the Republican nominee in Virginia won his primary election thanks in part to an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.

Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain and elite SEAL warrior, easily clinched the nomination on Tuesday night, drawing 61.8% of GOP voters against two opponents according to NBC News. Cao will take on Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), who is running for his third term. He was endorsed by President Trump in May, affording him several weeks to tout the nod and pull away from his also-ran rivals.

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Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, congratulated Cao in a statement, adding that his nomination presents the GOP with a “real pickup opportunity” in Virginia this fall. “Hung Cao graduated from the Naval Academy and served our country honorably for decades. In Washington, Hung will fight to secure our border, improve education, and get prices under control,” Daines said, The Hill reported.

The disciplined SEAL soldier is already a familiar face to some Virginians. In 2022, he challenged Congresswoman Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) in the 10th district, losing by more than six points. The race against Sen. Kaine is expected to be an uphill battle, though not steep: President Joe Biden is averaging a lead over Trump by 1-2% based on recent polling compiled by FiveThirtyEight. In addition, the 2021 election of Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin has reinvigorated the state GOP and helped the party make inroads in once-deep blue areas of Virginia like Loudon County. Still, Cook Political Report rates the race against Kaine as a “solid Democrat.”

Speaking after his win, Cao told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he is grateful for President Trump’s recognition.

“I came here as a refugee from Vietnam, and this country gave me everything and I grabbed on to that American Dream. But you know what, I paid back every time with my service to this country because I love it so much,” he said. “Seven polls now are showing Joe Biden and President Trump are basically dead even. Not only that… Tim Kaine is at 43%. You know anybody that’s an incumbent who’s below 50% is in deep trouble,” Cao said.

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Asked by Hannity to recap why Virginia has begun to trend red over the past couple of cycles, Cao said it comes down to residents demanding attention to pocketbook issues over culture-focused topics popular among local Democrats like transgender rights and racy books in public libraries.

“People are just mad. They can’t afford food to put on the table. They can’t afford a house. They can’t afford to fill up their gas tanks,” he replied.

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