A full clip of the exchange can be downloaded here

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) pushed the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Nominee if he would resist political pressures if confirmed, and offer candid advice to the President, Vice President, National Security Council (NSC), and Congress. In the conversation with Lt. General Dan Caine, King asked if he would give a ‘straight ahead commitment’ to advise the executive with the best military advice.

“We have discussed, almost every member of this panel has discussed the importance of giving straight advice to the President and the Secretary of Defense. These are two very strong personalities. The oval office is probably the most intimidating room in the world. I hope you will reiterate -- you mentioned you owe it to them to give the best advice, but you also owe it to the country to give them the best advice. You mentioned to me when we discussed this before: you have been retired, you did not expect this job, you don't need this job. Give me your straight ahead commitment that when the chips are down you are going to argue for your best military advice,” asked Senator King.

“Senator, I don't know any other way to operate as a leader. My job, if confirmed, is to always provide the best military advice to the President, the Secretary, the NSC,  and to Congress and to do so with candor every day,” replied Lt. Gen. Caine.

Senator King then asked the nominee about his strategy and willingness to combat the increasing resurgence of terrorism across the world.

“What I am very worried about now is resurgence of terrorism. Syria potentially could become another base for ISIS. There are thousands of ISIS fighters in jail in Syria. If they are released, that could be a major challenge. West Africa is now a major area of Al Qaeda activity. Talk to me about the terrorism threat and the fact that we can't forget it because 19 people changed American history on September 11. It does not take many terrorists to create serious problems for this country and for people around the world,” said Senator King. 

“Sir, I don't know that I could say it any better than you just did. We have to keep our pressure on the terrorists who would continue—,” Lt. Gen. Caine started.

“Could you make sure you have it in the record what he just said?” Senator King asked.

“It is not something, unfortunately, we can ever take our eyes off of completely. The challenge that somebody who would want to do harm to us or to our interests around the world is not going to go away anytime soon,” continued Lt. Gen. Caine. 

“One of the concerns I have, we always talk about deterrence. That is the main spring of our defense strategy. But deterrence does not work with a terrorist with a nuclear weapon. They don't have a capitol to blow up, they don't care about dying. The defense against that eventuality, which I think is absolutely terrifying, is intelligence. I hope you will continue to focus the forces in the Pentagon on intelligence and intervening if there is any threat of nuclear material getting into the hands of a terrorist organizations,” replied Senator King.

A member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senator King is recognized as an authoritative voice on national security and foreign policy issues who has also been named a “fiscal hero” by government watchdogs for responsible spending. Senator King has previously urged the Department of Defense (DoD) to take advantage of private sector technologies or risk losing access to innovative defense technologies and encouraged the (DoD) to reevaluate its acquisition process of defense technologies.

Senator King has been consistently sounding the alarm on President Donald Trump’s existential threat to the Constitution. He previously gave a speech on the Senate floor sharing that this administration is doing ‘exactly what the Framers [of the Constitution] most feared.” He also joined fellow Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) colleagues in writing a letter to the White House about the risks to national security by allowing unvetted Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff and representatives to access classified and sensitive government materials.

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