Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty?
Feb 24, 2025•8 min
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Episode description
On Friday, Donald Trump fired Chairman of the Joint Chief's of Staff CQ Brown, along with several other top Pentagon officials.
Now, Senator Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, has a question for the man tapped to succeed him, Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Dan Caine.
Quote — "will he have the ability to speak truth to power?"
Senator Reed is the top democrat on the Armed Services Committee.
The Trump administration says it wants a military built on meritocracy. Critics say it's building one governed by political loyalty.
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Now, Senator Jack Reed, a Democrat from Rhode Island, has a question for the man tapped to succeed him, Retired Air Force Lieutenant General Dan Caine.
Quote — "will he have the ability to speak truth to power?"
Senator Reed is the top democrat on the Armed Services Committee.
The Trump administration says it wants a military built on meritocracy. Critics say it's building one governed by political loyalty.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
NPR Privacy Policy
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