Dan ‘Raizin’ Caine confirmed as Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff

Siding alongside the Republicans in confirming Caine were 15 Democrats, including Sens. John Fetterman, Adam Schiff, Tim Kaine, and Kirsten Gillibrand, per the Washington Post.

During his confirmation earlier in April, Caine told lawmakers he was determined "to earn your trust and the trust of the American people," and acknowledged being an "unconventional nominee for the role, but that these were "unconventional times."

In nominating Caine, Trump wrote, "General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter' with significant interagency and special operations experience," and said that Caine had been "highly qualified" for promotion but was "passed over" by the Biden administration.

"But not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military,” Trump added. “Finally, I have also directed Secretary Hegseth to solicit nominations for five additional high level positions, which will be announced soon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said that Caine "embodies the warfighter ethos and is exactly the leader we need to meet the moment."

Caine retired in January from the Air Force as a three-star general. His time in the military included serving as a Special Operations officer and a fighter pilot. To become chairman, Caine first needed to be reinstated to active service and then promoted to a four-star general.

To serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the person must either be a four-star general, a prior vice chair of the Joint Chiefs, the head of a service branch, or a top commander at a major unified command under law. The law also states that the president is allowed to waive those requirements if he deems it "necessary in the national interest."