On Friday, the Senate confirmed retired Air Force Lieutenant General Dan “Razin Caine” to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. This position was created almost two months after Donald Trump dismissed his predecessor.
Trump nominated Caine in February to be the next top U.S. Military officer after abruptly firing Gen. CQ. Brown Jr. as a part of the administration’s drive to remove leaders from the military who promote diversity and equality. In an overnight vote, the Senate confirmed Caine with 60-25 votes before going home for a 2-week break.
Caine, a decorated F-16 fighter pilot, has served as a leader in several special operations commands and classified programs at the Pentagon. He also worked for the CIA. He doesn’t meet the requirements for this job, which were laid out in 1986 legislation. For example, he is not a combatant commanding officer or service chief. The president can waive these requirements if he determines that it is in the national interest.
Caine’s confirmation, which came in the middle night and just before the Senate departed town, occurred as Republicans were quickly advancing Trump nominees, and Democrats were trying to slow down the process and demonstrate that they opposed Trump’s policies. Senate Majority leader John Thune (R-SD) set up the early morning voting after Democrats complained about speeding up the procedural votes.
Caine received some bipartisan support. Caine pledged to be apolitical at his confirmation hearing, which took place earlier this month. He said that he would give Trump candid advice and be honest. He denied Trump’s claim that Caine had worn a “Make America Great Again!” hat at their first meeting.
He said, “I’ve never worn any political clothing.”
Caine was asked what he would do if he were to be ordered to order the military to perform something illegal, like being used to enforce domestic law against civilians.
Will you stand up? Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin asked.
Caine replied: “Senator, I believe that is my duty and job, yes.”
Trump’s relationship with Caine goes back to his first presidency. Trump recalled in a speech from 2019 that they met on a trip to Iraq. He said, “Caine is a real General, not a TV general.”
During Trump’s first term, his relationship with Milley, then the chairman of the board at that time, soured when Milley took action to stop what he considered an attempt to politicize office. He reminded military personnel that they swore an oath not to a President, but to the Constitution.
Milley’s picture as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was removed within hours of Trump’s January inauguration. Milley’s security clearance and his security detail were also revoked.