The president took to social media to thank Brown for his service even as he was announcing his firing:
I would like to express my gratitude to General Charles “CQ” Brown for his more than 40 years of dedication to our nation, including serving as the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He exemplifies integrity and exceptional leadership qualities, and I extend my best wishes to him and his family.
Today, I am honored…
— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 22, 2025
The post in full:
I wish to extend my thanks to General Charles “CQ” Brown for his extensive 40-year commitment to our country, which includes his current role as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a true gentleman and an exemplary leader, and I hope for nothing but success and happiness for him and his loved ones.
Today, I am pleased to announce my nomination of Air Force Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine for the position of the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Caine brings a wealth of experience as a skilled pilot, national security specialist, accomplished entrepreneur, and seasoned “warfighter” with notable expertise in interagency coordination and special operations.
During my first term, Razin was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. It was done in record setting time, a matter of weeks. Many so-called military “geniuses” said it would take years to defeat ISIS. General Caine, on the other hand, said it could be done quickly, and he delivered.
Despite being highly qualified and respected to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the previous administration, General Caine was passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden. But not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military. 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!
What is the exact definition of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, you might ask. The position is used to synthesize military information for the president:
The role of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs was established in 1949 as an adviser to the president and secretary of defense, as a way to filter all of the views of the service chiefs and more readily provide that information to the White House without the president having to reach out to each individual military branch, according to an Atlantic Council briefing written by retired Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro. The role has no actual command authority.
BREAKING: Trump just replaced Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles “CQ” Brown.
Dan Caine has been selected to replace him.
Woke is being removed from the military! pic.twitter.com/QuHawygLfj
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) February 22, 2025
As we reported, Brown failed to notify Biden when then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin went AWOL for four days for a hospital procedure without bothering to tell his superiors.
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) February 22, 2025
