Key Four Highlights of Trump’s Joint Chiefs of Staff Nominee Confirmation Hearing

On Tuesday, President Trump’s nominee for Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Air Force Lieutenant General John D. Caine, spoke at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. If appointed, Caine pledged to maintain the military’s political neutrality.

Trump nominated Caine to succeed General Charles Q. Brown Jr. in February, along with the removal of several other top military officials such as Navy Strategic Commander Lisa Franchetti and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Jim Slife.

During his service, Caine piloted F-16 fighter jets and held key positions in the Special Operations Command and the Joint Special Operations Command.

He was also responsible for the highly classified Special Access Program (SAP) at the Department of Defense and served as the Deputy Director of Military Affairs at the CIA starting in 2021 until his retirement in December of last year.

Caine’s military career spanned both regular forces and the Air National Guard.

As he retired in December of last year, if appointed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he would have to be sworn back into service.

“I acknowledge that I am an unconventional nominee, but this is also an unconventional time,” Caine said in his opening statement on Tuesday.

In the hearing, senators from both parties expressed concerns over Trump’s decision to replace Brown with Caine. The term of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is typically four years, but Brown served for only about 16 months in reality.

Senator Jack Reed, the chief Democratic member of the committee from Rhode Island, expressed his concern in the opening statement: “The reasons for replacing these officers have not been disclosed, and I am deeply concerned that these decisions may have political motives, which will have a chilling effect within the military.”

Senator Mazie Hirono from Hawaii, a Democrat, accused Trump of attempting to install individuals loyal to him rather than loyal to the Constitution or the American people.

Republican Senator Kevin Cramer from North Dakota voiced his support for Caine to serve as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Cramer said, “While I agree that the way your predecessor was replaced is regrettable, that is in the past, and I can’t think of anyone more suitable than you to replace General Brown.”

During the hearing, Caine clarified multiple times that he did not wear a red “MAGA” hat, a trademark merchandise from Trump’s campaign with the slogan “Make America Great Again,” during his duty in Iraq or when meeting with Trump in 2018.

When asked about this by committee chairman Senator Roger Wicker, Caine replied, “For 34 years, I have always adhered to my oath of office, stuck to my duties, and have never worn any political merchandise.”

Reports alleging that Caine wore a Trump campaign hat were believed to come from a speech Trump made at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February 2024. Trump described meeting Caine and other military personnel in Iraq where one of them put on a “MAGA” hat.

During the hearing, Caine repeatedly stated that he believed Trump’s account referred to another soldier, not himself.

Democratic senators also pressed Caine on a recent controversy – a journalist mistakenly added to a Signal encrypted communication group where senior Trump administration officials were allegedly discussing plans for airstrikes on Yemen. This incident raised concerns about whether the Trump administration was discussing sensitive military intelligence on a platform with insufficient secrecy levels.

Regarding this issue, Caine said, “I always utilize the appropriate systems for communications based on the sensitivity of the content. As for which information in that Signal group was classified and how it was categorized, I do not know, but I know that we must maintain the unpredictability of military operations.”

According to The Atlantic, the editor-in-chief, who was mistakenly added to the Signal group, discovered discussions among members about the timing and weapons used in last month’s airstrikes on Yemen.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, asked Caine if the content discussed in the group, such as the timing of the airstrikes, should be considered classified information. Caine responded that he had limited knowledge of specific operational plans and could not comment.

In a pre-hearing questionnaire from the Senate, Caine was asked about the biggest challenges he anticipates if appointed. He answered, “Ensuring long-term security at the U.S. border remains a significant challenge.” He also expressed concerns about America’s overall strategy against China in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Unfortunately, at this critical moment, the U.S. military is facing a procurement system and defense industrial base that are unsustainable for prolonged warfare. There is a lack of sufficient capacity, responsiveness, and flexibility, making it difficult to effectively deter our adversaries,” he wrote in the questionnaire.

Caine pointed out that China currently has the world’s largest naval fleet of about 370 surface ships and submarines and highlighted their advancements in hypersonic missile technology. However, he noted areas where the Chinese military lacks, such as commander quality, long-range logistics, and urban warfare, as well as the overall lack of modern warfare experience.

In addition to China, Caine also assessed Russia’s strategic posture. He stated that Russia is not seeking to launch “open military attacks” against the U.S. or NATO but has the capability and willingness to engage in asymmetric actions while deliberately controlling below their perceived threshold for military conflict.

When asked about the potential for alliances among China, Russia, North Korea, and Iran, Caine mentioned that these four countries tend to align on many strategic goals and collaborate on weapon trades and sanctions evasion. However, he stated, “These countries have not formed a collective alliance for joint action nor shown a trend towards developing a NATO-style alliance.”

During the hearing, Caine faced numerous questions about the readiness of the U.S. military and global deployment policies.

Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a Democratic senator from New Hampshire, mentioned reports suggesting that the Trump administration might consider not having an American as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), a critical military command role within NATO.

In response, Caine said, “Whenever we deploy U.S. troops, we typically prefer these forces to be led by American commanders.”

He added that he would ultimately follow the President’s instructions regarding such policy decisions.

Caine also noted that shipbuilding and fleet readiness remained a “major challenge.” The Navy set a goal back in 2016 to expand the fleet to 355 ships by 2030. However, to date, the operational fleet of the U.S. Navy remains between 270 to 300 ships.

“We must achieve the goal of 355 ships as mandated by Congress as soon as possible,” Caine emphasized.

In another segment of the hearing, Caine and Republican Senator Ted Budd from North Carolina discussed the status of current U.S. combat aircraft and the push for the development of the sixth-generation fighter jet to replace aging models.

Caine, who piloted an F-16 jet on September 11, 2001, during homeland defense aerial patrol missions, emphasized that as the U.S. gradually phases out old aircraft mainly used for homeland defense, the military should carefully assess the impact of combat capability gaps.

He highlighted that before fully deploying sixth-generation fighters, the military would still rely on existing fourth and fifth-generation aircraft.

With the strategic competition intensifying between the U.S. and adversaries like China, Budd and Caine also discussed the crucial role special operations forces play in the strategic realm.

Caine believed that special operations forces could exert pressure and challenge Chinese military decision-makers at the strategic level. If his nomination is confirmed, he would consult with leaders from the Indo-Pacific Command and Special Operations Command to evaluate how to enhance special operations capabilities and adjust readiness to respond to potential “equally matched conflicts” in the Indo-Pacific region.

However, Caine did not specify his preferred investment direction and only stated that he would further consult with the current Special Operations Command commander, Army General Bryan Fenton.

The original article “4 Takeaways From Confirmation Hearing for Trump’s Joint Chiefs Nominee” was published in English Epoch Times.