President Trump announced February 21 that retired United States Air Force Lt. Gen. John Dan Caine, known for his call sign “Razin’,” will be his pick for the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The announcement came in the same social media post where Trump fired the current chairman, U.S. Air Force Gen. CQ Brown Jr., who had served in the position for 16 months out of a four-year term.
The move is part of a broader effort by Trump and Department of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to reshape military leadership. The Administration has stated it wants to refocus on building a “lethal fighting force.”
Trump’s relationship with Caine dates back to his first term, when they met during a presidential trip to Iraq. During a 2019 speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Trump recounted how Caine impressed him with a more aggressive strategy against ISIS that could potentially end the fight in a week rather than years.
“General ‘Razin’ Caine was — he’s some general. He’s a real general, not a television general,” Trump said at a Miami event days before making the formal announcement.
“General Caine embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment. I look forward to working with him,” said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Like his predecessor Brown, Caine flew F-16 fighter jets during his military career, following in the footsteps of his father. However, Caine’s selection breaks with tradition, as he does not meet the typical prerequisites for the position as outlined in a 1986 law, such as having served as a combatant commander or service chief. Presidents can waive these requirements, which would allow Caine to be promoted to four-star general, and then undergo the Senate confirmation process.
“I know he’s nontraditional, but that’s kind of what this administration looks for,” said Chris Miller, who served as Trump’s last acting Secretary of Defense during his first term.
Caine retired from active duty in December 2024, having last served as Associate Director for Military Affairs at the Central Intelligence Agency.