Dan Caine, a retired three-star general, was largely unknown in Washington until President Donald Trump nominated him as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Caine first caught Trump’s attention in 2018 while serving as deputy commander of a special operations task force in Iraq. Trump has frequently praised Caine, calling him a "real general, not a television general."
If confirmed by the Senate, Caine will take over amid major shifts in the military following Trump’s firing of Air Force General C.Q. Brown. The retired F-16 pilot will be promoted to four-star general before undergoing a rigorous confirmation process. His nomination is unconventional, as past chairmen have led a military branch or combatant command.
Caine's military career includes over 2,800 flight hours in the F-16. On September 11, 2001, he was among the pilots tasked with defending Washington, ready to shoot down hijacked planes if necessary. He later held key roles in counterterrorism at the White House and CIA, where he served until retiring last year.
Trump claims Caine was "passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden" but insists that will change. Critics worry about keeping the military apolitical, especially after Trump’s controversial firing of Brown. However, a senior military official described Caine as mission-focused and nonpartisan.
Trump has often recounted his meeting with Caine in Iraq, linking it to moments when service members wore "Make America Great Again" hats. With Caine’s confirmation looming, questions remain about his leadership and the military's role in politics.