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President Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. Dan ‘Razin’ Caine to be the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, after firing General Charles Q. Brown Jr. for the position.
“Today, I am honored to announce that I am nominating Air Force Lieutenant General Dan ‘Razin’ Caine to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff,” Trump wrote Friday on Truth Social.
“General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience,” he added.
Here’s what we know about Caine — and his relationship with Trump:
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How did Caine and Trump meet?
The president recalled Trump and Caine meeting in 2018 during a visit to Iraq during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2019.
It was then that the general told the president he believed ISIS could be defeated in one week rather than two years, as his advisers said at the time.
“‘One week? I was told two years!’” Trump recalled saying.
Trump said Caine replied: “‘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 you’re right on right now, sir.’” “‘They won’t know what the hell hit them.’”
Trump also recalled asking the general his name, to which the president said Caine replied, “Razin.” After Trump asked for his last name, he reportedly replied: “Caine, Razin Caine.”
Trump also claims Caine put on a signature “Make America Great Again” hat while they met in Iraq.
“‘I love you, sir. I think you’re great, sir. I’ll kill for you, sir,’” Trump said, quoting Caine.
“Then he puts on a Make America Great Again hat. You’re not allowed to do that, but they did it,” Trump added.
Caine later told aides the story of the hat wasn’t true, according to The New York Times.
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What is Caine’s background?
Caine graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1990 with a degree in economics. He then earned a master’s degree in air warfare from American Military University.
Under President George W. Bush, Caine was a counterterrorism specialist for the White House’s Homeland Security Council.
Caine also undertook several secretive intelligence and special operations assignments, the Times reports, both at home and overseas.
He then worked as a part-time Air National Guard member and “a serial entrepreneur and investor” from 2009 to 2016.
Caine then served as associate director for military affairs at the CIA from 2021 until last year.
Caine’s appointment is unusual, The Washington Post reports. Caine is a lieutenant general as of 2021, while every previous appointee since 1949 has been a general or an admiral.
However, Caine will be promoted to general if he’s confirmed.
What does the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff do?
Caine will be the highest-ranking officer in the Pentagon and serve as a top adviser to the president if he’s confirmed to the role.
However, Caine would not have operational command over the country’s armed forces—his primary purpose would be to provide guidance and advice to the White House.
