Following a contentious debate, the Senate confirmed General Anthony Caine as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff early Friday morning.
The confirmation vote, which concluded with a tally of 60 to 25, saw support from 15 Democratic senators. The Republican effort to swiftly approve Caine on Thursday was initially blocked by Democrats.
Caine, previously an Air Force F-16 pilot and now the first National Guard general to hold the position, had been retired when President Trump reactivated him for this role following the February dismissal of Gen. C.Q. Brown. The latter’s departure was linked to a 2022 memo outlining diversity objectives within the Air Force.
This appointment marks several departures from tradition: Caine is the first Joint Chiefs chairman who isn’t a four-star general and the first to be brought out of retirement for the position. Due to his lack of experience as a combatant commander or service chief, President Trump had to grant him a special waiver.
During testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Caine acknowledged the unusual nature of his nomination: “In our family, we serve. When asked, we always say yes.” He stated, “Senators, I acknowledge that I’m an unconventional nominee. These are unconventional times.”
Prior to his confirmation, Caine held positions including associate director of military affairs for the CIA (2021-2024) and founded a regional airline in Texas. He also served as a White House fellow at the Agriculture Department and as a counterterrorism specialist on the Homeland Security Council.
The path to this appointment was forged during a December 2018 meeting with President Trump at Al Asad airbase in Iraq, where Caine reportedly told the president that ISIS could be decisively defeated if engagement rules were relaxed. According to Trump, Caine stated: “’We’re only hitting them from a temporary base in Syria,’ but ‘if you gave us permission, we could hit them from the back, from the side, from all over – from the base that you’re right on, right now, sir. They won’t know what the hell hit them.’”
During the hearing, President Trump asserted that Caine wore a red “MAGA” hat during their first encounter; however, Caine denied this claim repeatedly.
“Sir, for 34 years, I’ve upheld my oath of office and my commitment to my commission, and I have never worn any political merchandise,” he affirmed to Armed Services Chairman Roger Wicker.
President Trump described Caine as “an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience.”
Caine pledged to advise the president on defense matters impartially. “The role,” he explained, “starts with being a good example from the top and making sure that we are nonpartisan and apolitical and speaking the truth to power.”
His appointment follows a notable shift in relations within the Trump administration; Gen. Mark Milley, Trump’s previous chairman of the Joint Chiefs, has recently seen his security clearance revoked and his portrait removed from the Pentagon.
- Background: Air Force F-16 pilot, National Guard general
- Previous Roles: Associate director for military affairs at CIA, airline founder, White House fellow
- Key Statement: “We could hit them from the back, from the side, from all over – from the base that you’re right on, right now, sir. They won’t know what the hell hit them.” (Reported statement to President Trump regarding ISIS)
Caine has emphasized his commitment to non-partisan advice and serving as a model for military leadership.
