Trump Fires Top US Military Officer CQ Brown, Chooses Retired Gen Dan Caine As Joint Chiefs Of Staff

 

US President Donald Trump on Friday removed Air Force General CQ Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, along with five other top military officials in a major change in the US military. Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he would nominate former Lieutenant General Dan "Razin" Caine to replace CQ Brown, breaking tradition by selecting a retired officer for the top military role. This marks the first time a retired general has been called back to lead the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Beyond CQ Brown's removal, Trump’s administration will also replace Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman to lead a military service, as head of the US Navy. Additionally, the Air Force vice chief of staff and the Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy and Air Force will be replaced. These positions play a crucial role in enforcing military justice.

 

The sweeping changes signal a major transformation in military policy and strategy. The Pentagon is bracing for further upheaval, including potential budget cuts, restructuring of military deployments and the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a Trump ally, has previously questioned whether Brown’s appointment was based on merit or racial considerations. CQ Brown, who was only the second Black officer to serve as the president’s top uniformed military adviser, was initially appointed for a four-year term set to end in September 2027. However, his dismissal was immediate, even before the Senate could confirm his successor. Reuters first reported in November that Trump intended a sweeping shake-up of the top brass. The decision has drawn sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who view it as a politically motivated move.

 

 

Dan Caine, Trump’s nominee to replace Brown, was relatively unknown in Washington before his selection. The retired three-star general first met Trump in Iraq in 2018 while serving as deputy commander of a special operations task force fighting the Islamic State. According to Trump, Caine boldly claimed that ISIS could be defeated in just a week, a statement that left a lasting impression on the president. Trump has frequently referenced Caine in speeches, praising him as a "real general, not a television general." On Wednesday, just days before the official announcement, Trump reaffirmed his confidence in Caine during a speech in Miami. If confirmed by the Senate, Caine will assume command during a period of significant military transition. He will be promoted to a four-star general and is expected to face a rigorous Senate confirmation process. His leadership will be critical in navigating the early days of the Trump administration’s defense overhaul.

 

Donald Trump claims Tim Cook scrapped Apple's Mexico plants after meeting him, pledged millions in US investment US President Donald Trump recently told a gathering of US governors that Apple CEO Tim Cook was planning to move manufacturing from Mexico to the US, Bloomberg reported. Notably, Cook or Apple have not yet publicly announced the move, but Trump claims that the Apple CEO has " stopped two plants in Mexico" and will build products in the US. Trump's announcement comes just a day after he met with Apple's top executive, where he said Cook promised hundreds of millions of dollars in investment in the US. After the meeting with Cook, Trump told reporters on Friday, “He’s going to start building,” “Very big numbers — you have to speak to him. I assume they’re going to announce it at some point.” the US President added. While it isn't clear which Apple plant exactly President Trump pushed Cook into closing but the Bloomberg report suggests that it could be a Foxconn manufacturing facility. Reportedly, Apple doesn't rely heavily on Mexico for its production and used its suppliers to make some parts but most of the manufacturing happens in Asia. Since his win in the US Elections last year, Cook has looked to strengthen his relationship with President Trump first by travelling to meet him at his residence Mar-a-Lago in Florida during the transition period and later during the President's inauguration in January. During the first Trump administration, Cook was to able to use his relationship with the US President to get tariff exemptions for iPHones. However, Trump has suggested that he is looking to avoid exemptions as he looks to impose sweeping new tariffs on imported goods.

 

 

While Apple still relies majorly on China for its iPhone production, the Cupertino based tech giant is increasingly looking to reduce its reliance on the Asian country with India as an alternate. Apple started assembling its full iPhone 16 series in India last year and also added that it will assemble the latest iPhone 16e variant in the country. Apple also makes around 15 percent of its iPhones in India and this number is expected to rise to around 25 percent by 2027, according to JPMorgan and Bank of America analysts quoted by Financial Times. While the reciprocal tariffs imposed by Trump will also impact India, it isn't yet clear if they will hinder with the iPhone manufacturing in the country. 

 

 

 

 

 

According to a Bank of America analysis (via CNBC), Apple will need to hike its prices by around 9% in order to mitigate the impact of tariffs imposed by President Trump. The analysis assumes that there will be a tariff on at least 10% on Apple products like iPHones, iPads and others. Notably, President Trump signed a memorandum applying ‘reciprocal tarrifs’ based on what foreign nations charge America. Countries using a VAT system, which he considers more punitive than traditional tariffs, will be treated similarly. Apple's shares had fallen earlier in the month when Trump announced a 10% tariff on China, the country where most of Apple products are assembled.