Pete Hegseth Shuts Down Reporter’s Low Blow at Lt. Gen. Dan Caine [WATCH]

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made headlines Monday after swiftly shutting down a reporter’s question regarding President Donald Trump’s nomination of Air Force Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine to replace General Charles “CQ” Brown as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The exchange took place at the Pentagon during a meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Defense Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman.

During the press briefing, a reporter challenged Hegseth on Caine’s qualifications, asking, “Why did you select an underqualified retired lieutenant general to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff?”

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Hegseth wasted no time dismissing the premise of the question. “I’m going to choose to reject your unqualified question. Who’s next?” he responded, moving on to the next topic.

It’s simple Dan Caine is the man to meet the moment!

Full Stop. https://t.co/7YoUuiE1JW

— Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (@SecDef) February 24, 2025

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President Trump announced his decision to replace Brown and nominate Caine as his successor on Friday.

The announcement was made on Truth Social, where Trump thanked Brown for his four decades of service before introducing his choice for the next leader of the Joint Chiefs.

“I want to thank General Charles ‘CQ’ Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family,” Trump wrote.

Trump praised Caine’s qualifications, highlighting his role in dismantling the ISIS caliphate during Trump’s first term.

“General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience,” Trump stated.

Trump credited Caine for the rapid defeat of ISIS, a mission that many military leaders had predicted would take years.

“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,” Trump said.

Trump’s announcement also took aim at the previous administration, noting that despite Caine’s extensive military credentials, he was overlooked for promotion under President Joe Biden.

“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!” Trump wrote.

Trump also directed Hegseth to begin the process of filling five additional high-level military positions, with nominations to be announced soon.

The press briefing at the Pentagon turned contentious when the reporter pressed Hegseth with the assertion that Caine was “underqualified.”

Hegseth’s response was brief and dismissive, refusing to entertain the question and immediately moving on.

Hegseth’s handling of the exchange, combined with Trump’s strong endorsement of Caine, shines the spotlight on the administration’s push to reshape the Pentagon’s leadership.

The nomination of Caine signals a return to Trump’s America First military strategy, with a focus on decisive action and strength.

With the nomination now pending, attention will turn to the confirmation process, where Caine’s military record and leadership credentials will likely be the subject of further debate.

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