Trump Nominee for Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Confirmed in Overnight Senate Vote

Lawmakers confirmed retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, a decorated F-16 combat pilot who has served in leadership roles in multiple special operations commands.

Retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine, President Donald Trump’s nominee for 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

The Senate voted in the early hours of Friday to confirm President Donald Trump’s choice for chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine.

Lawmakers confirmed Caine, 60–25, in an overnight vote before heading home for a two-week recess, capping a turbulent nomination process that began in February, when President Donald Trump proposed Caine as the next chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff after abruptly firing his predecessor, Gen. Charles Q. Brown.