4 Takeaways From Confirmation Hearing for Trump’s Joint Chiefs Nominee

Trump nominated retired Lt. Gen. John D. ‘Razin’ Caine to be the next Joint Chiefs chairman after dismissing Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. in February.

Retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, then President Donald Trump’s nominee as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testifies during his Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing in Washington on April 1, 2025. Win McNamee/Getty Images

At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on April 1, retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John D. “Razin” Caine said he would provide apolitical military leadership if he becomes the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

President Donald Trump nominated Caine as the top uniformed military leader in February after dismissing Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. from the Joint Chiefs chairmanship. Trump subsequently relieved other top military service officials, including Adm. Lisa Franchetti, chief of naval operations, and Gen. Jim Slife, vice chief of the Air Force.