Overview

• Retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, pledging to provide candid, nonpartisan military advice if confirmed as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
• Caine denied President Trump's repeated claims that he wore a MAGA hat during a 2018 meeting, asserting he has never worn political merchandise during his military career.
• Lawmakers questioned Caine about a Signal chat incident involving sensitive military information; he stated he would have intervened to stop such practices had he been involved.
• Caine acknowledged his unconventional nomination, requiring a presidential waiver due to his lack of traditional qualifications, but argued that unconventional times demand unconventional leadership.
• His confirmation hinges on near-unanimous Republican support in a narrowly divided Senate, with bipartisan concerns about maintaining the military's apolitical nature.