Washington — The Senate confirmed retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine to become the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on Friday, filling the position almost two months after President Trump fired his predecessor.
Mr. Trump nominated Caine to become the top U.S. military officer in February after abruptly firing Gen. CQ Brown Jr., the second Black general to serve as chairman, as part of his administration’s campaign to rid the military of leaders who support diversity and equity in the ranks.
The Senate confirmed Caine 60-25 in an overnight vote before heading home for a two-week recess.
Caine is a decorated F-16 combat pilot who served in leadership in multiple special operations commands in some of the Pentagon’s most classified programs and in the CIA.
Caine is an unconventional pick in part because he is a three-star general nominated to a role that requires previous service in a four star position such as one of the joint chiefs or combatant commanders. But the president can waive this requirement, according to U.S. code.
Caine’s confirmation in the middle of the night, just before the Senate left town, comes as Republicans have been quickly advancing Mr. Trump’s nominees and as Democrats have been trying to delay the process and show that they are fighting the president’s policies. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., set up the early morning vote after Democrats objected to speeding up procedural votes on the nomination.
Still, Caine was confirmed with some bipartisan support.
At his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Caine said he would be candid in his advice to Mr. Trump and vowed to be apolitical.
He disputed Mr. Trump’s story that Caine wore a “Make America Great Again” hat when the two first met.
“I have never worn any political merchandise,” he said.
Caine was asked how he would react if ordered to direct the military to do something potentially illegal, such as being used against civilians in domestic law enforcement.
“Will you stand up and push back?” Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin asked.
The ouster of Brown, only the second Black general to serve as chairman, sent shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months on the job were consumed with the war in Ukraine and the expanded conflict in the Middle East.
“Senator, I think that’s the duty and the job that I have, yes,” Caine replied.
Mr. Trump’s relationship with Caine dates to his first administration. They met during a trip to Iraq, as Mr. Trump recounted in a 2019 speech. He has said Caine is “a real general, not a television general.”
During his first term, Mr. Trump’s relationship with then-Chairman Gen. Mark Milley soured as Milley pushed back and took steps to try to prevent what he saw as an attempt to politicize the office. He would remind military service members that they took an oath to the Constitution, not to a president.
Within hours of Trump’s inauguration in January, Milley’s portrait as chairman of the Joint Chiefs was removed from the Pentagon. Milley’s security clearance and security detail also were revoked.
Brown’s ouster sent shock waves through the Pentagon. His 16 months on the job were consumed with the war in Ukraine and the expanded conflict in the Middle East.
Mr. Trump acted despite support for Brown among key members of Congress and a seemingly friendly meeting with him in mid-December when the two were seated next to each other for a time at the Army-Navy football game. Brown had been meeting regularly with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
