In a 60-25 bipartisan vote, the U.S. Senate voted early Friday morning to confirm retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine as the next chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. All “no” votes came from Democrats, with 15 senators not voting. For him to assume the positon, the Senate also agreed to promote Caine and reinstate him to active service.
“Congratulations to Dan ‘Razin’ Caine on his confirmation in the Senate as the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a statement. “Your leadership will be a welcomed/vital part of ensuring we return the Dept. of Defense back to the American warfighter.”
Caine’s nomination was reported “favorably” alongside several other military-related nominees by the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) on Wednesday. A final vote tally was not provided by the committee.
During his April 1 confirmation hearing before the SASC, Caine spoke of his lengthy military career and the challenges facing the force moving forward. He further noted the importance of maintaining a strong national defense to promote stability throughout the world.
“We can never forget that our number one job is to create peace through overwhelming strength, and if need be, fight and win our nation’s wars,” Caine said.
President Trump nominated Caine in February to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff and fill the position of fired Chair Charles Q. Brown. Promoted to the position by former President Biden, Brown was a major proponent of so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) ideology in the military.
While participating in a November 2020 discussion, for instance, Brown suggested that “[a]t the higher level of the Air Force, diversity ha[d] moved to the forefront of personnel decisions such as promotions and hiring,” Air & Space Forces Magazine reported. In the same event, Brown also admitted to using his then-post as Air Force chief of staff to increase opportunities for “diverse candidates” in the service, saying he “hire[d] for diversity” when building his staff, according to the outlet.
[READ: Trump Ousts Leftist Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chair, Other DEI-Pushing Military Officials]
Caine’s confirmation also represents a clean break from the politicization of the Joint Chiefs by retired Gen. Mark Milley, who served as chair of the advisory board from 2019-2023.
During his tenure leading the Joint Chiefs, Milley reportedly disparaged Trump as a “fascist to the core,” and seemingly referred to the now-president as a “wannabe dictator” in his 2023 retirement speech.
More egregious, however, are Milley’s alleged comments to his counterpart in the Chinese military. In 2021, it was reported that while serving under Trump, Milley told the said Chinese official that the U.S. had no intention of attacking China, and that he would “call [Beijing] ahead of time” if Trump were to launch such an offensive.
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., defended Milley’s purported communication with the Chinese during Caine’s confirmation hearing, claiming the general “did this out of a deep respect and commitment to the Constitution of the United States.”
The Trump-led Pentagon announced earlier this year that the agency’s inspector general would be launching an investigation into Milley’s conduct, claiming he “undermine[d] the chain of command” during Trump’s first term.
Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
