Trump appointee Dan Caine takes over as top US military officer

US Air Force Gen. Dan Caine has been sworn in as the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, following a late-night Senate confirmation and a presidential sign-off nearly two months after the ousting of his predecessor.

The Senate confirmed Caine’s nomination in a bipartisan vote of 60-25 early Friday morning, with 15 Democrats and independent Sen. Angus King of Maine joining Republicans in support, Caliber.Az reports, citing AP.

The confirmation clears the way for Caine, a decorated F-16 fighter pilot and widely respected officer, to take over one of the most influential positions in the U.S. military.

Caine replaces Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., who was dismissed by President Donald Trump as part of a sweeping overhaul of military leadership. The move came amid criticism from Trump that the Pentagon’s senior leadership had become overly focused on diversity and equity programs.

The final paperwork authorizing Caine’s appointment was completed over the weekend, and he assumed his new role on Saturday. A formal ceremony at the White House is expected later this week.

Caine’s ties with Trump go back to the former president’s first term in office. The two met during a presidential trip to Iraq, an encounter Trump recalled fondly in a 2019 speech. The former president has described Caine as “a real general, not a television general,” a likely reference to his preference for officers with battlefield credentials over those with a media presence.

By Khagan Isayev