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Who is General Dan Caine? US Army's Joint Chiefs chairman Trump credited with ISIS combat
General Dan Caine received praise once from President Trump for his contributions to the defeat of ISIS. Here's all you need to know about his
President Donald Trump has once again spotlighted General Dan “Razin” Caine and praised his role in defeating ISIS. During a White House press conference on Monday, Trump called him instrumental in accelerating the campaign against the terror group.
While introducing Caine to the audience, Trump said he got to know Caine during his first term and credited him with helping "take out ISIS in four weeks instead of the four-year projection.”
Fighter jet pilot to top military adviser
Caine is a retired US Air Force lieutenant general. He currently serves as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and is the highest-ranking military officer in the United States with a four-star.
Caine has spent over three decades in military service. He is a decorated F-16 pilot with more than 2,800 flight hours, including combat missions.
His career has spanned key roles in counterterrorism, intelligence, and special operations, including work at the CIA as associate director for military affairs before being brought back into active service.
After joining the White House in 2005, Caine held several positions, including Fellow at the Department of Agriculture, where he worked on avian influenza and Hurricane Katrina relief, as well as policy director for counterterrorism.
He was confirmed to the Joint Chiefs role in 2025 after being personally selected by Trump. His selection is one listed as an unconventional appointment, given his prior retirement. He is also the first Joint Chiefs Chairman to have never held the position of four-star general or admiral before taking on the chairmanship.
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Why does Trump credit him in the fight against ISIS
Their first meeting in Iraq in 2018 sparked President Donald Trump's interest in the retired three-star general. Trump was especially impressed by Caine's management of an Islamic State (IS) special operations task team.
From 2018 to 2019, Caine served as deputy commander in the US campaign under Operation Inherent Resolve, the multinational effort to dismantle ISIS.
Reports indicate that during a 2018 meeting in Iraq, Caine told Trump that ISIS could be defeated rapidly with changes in strategy and rules of engagement
In a speech at the 2019 Conservative Political Action Conference, Trump described Caine, who was then the deputy head of a special operations task team fighting IS, telling him that the terrorist organization could be destroyed in a week, according to Reuters.
In a Truth Social post announcing Caine's appointment as the chairman, Trump wrote, “Razin was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. […] 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.”
The US Department of Defense has prominently lauded senior commanders participating in Operation Inherent Resolve.
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Trump continues to back General Caine
Trump has repeatedly praised Caine as a “real general,” and has highlighted his battlefield experience and unconventional thinking.
In today's White House Press conference as well, Trump generously credited only Caine with the defeat of the international terrorist group, calling him “perfecto."
Even in the announcement of his appointment, Trump praised Caine's service in the military and said, “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!”
He further added, “Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First and rebuild our military.”
