Washington (AP) – The Senate confirmed the Air Force retired Lieutenant-general in “razin” caine To become the next president of the chiefs of joint staff on Friday, filling the post almost two months after President Donald Trump dismissed his predecessor.
Trump appointed Caine to become the first US military officer in February after having dismissed General CQ Brown Jr., the second black general to be president, as part of the campaign of his administration in Rid the army of leaders who support diversity and equity in the rows. The Senate confirmed Caine 60-25 during a night vote before returning home for a two-week recreation.
Caine is a decorated F-16 combat driver that has served in leadership in several special operations orders, in some of the most classified programs in the Pentagon and in the CIA. He does not meet the prerequisites for the employment set out in a 1986 law, such as being a combat commander or a department head. But these requirements can be lifted by the president if there is a determination that “such action is necessary in the national interest”.
Caine’s confirmation in the middle of the night, just before leaving the city of the Senate, intervenes when the Republicans quickly advanced Trump’s candidates and the Democrats tried to delay the process and show that they are fighting against Trump’s politics. The head of the majority of the Senate, John Thune, RS.D., set up the vote early in the morning after the Democrats opposed to accelerate procedural votes on the appointment.
However, Caine was confirmed with bipartite support. At his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Caine said he would be frank in his advice to Trump and swore to be apolitical. He challenged Trump’s story that Caine wore a hat “Make America Great Again” when the two met for the first time.
“I have never worn political goods,” he said.
Caine was asked how he would react if it was ordered to ask the soldiers to do something potentially illegal, as being used against civilians in national police.
“Do you want to get up and push?” Asked Michigan Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin.
“The senator, I think it’s the duty and the work I have, yes,” Caine said.
Trump’s relationship with Caine dates back to his first administration. They met during a trip to Iraq, as Trump told in a 2019 speech. He said that Caine is “a real general, not a television general”.
During his first mandate, Trump’s relationship with General de l’Évé, General Mark Milley, embittered while Cany has pushed and took measures to try to prevent what he saw as an attempt to politicize the office. He would remind the members of the military service that they were sworn in with the Constitution, not to a president.
In the hours following the inauguration of Trump in January, the portrait of Many as president of the joint chiefs was removed from the Pentagon. Millery’s security authorization And security details have also been dismissed.
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The writers of the associated press Lolita Baldor and Tara Copp contributed to this report.
