Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine reacts ahead of a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 2, 2026. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
President Donald Trump told the American public his top military adviser blessed the Iran strike campaign as a sure thing. But the truth, according to a New York Times report on Monday, was the opposite.
Before the bombs fell, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine stood before Trump and his national security team in the White House Situation Room in February and delivered a stark warning.
"During the meeting, General Caine discussed an array of options, among them that U.S. forces could carry out a limited strike as a way to push Iran in the negotiations, or a larger campaign with the goal of toppling the government. The latter option in particular, he said, carried high risk of American casualties, could destabilize the region and significantly deplete stocks of American munitions," the Times reported.
Days later, Trump took to Truth Social and pushed a very different story.
Caine, Trump wrote, had said any military action against Iran would be "something easily won."
"Numerous stories from the Fake News Media have been circulating stating that General Daniel Caine, sometimes referred to as Razin, is against us going to War with Iran. The story does not attribute this vast wealth of knowledge to anyone, and is 100% incorrect," the president raged on his platform. "General Caine, like all of us, would like not to see War but, if a decision is made on going against Iran at a Military level, it is his opinion that it will be something easily won."
Six American troops have since died. Trump has warned that more casualties will likely come.
Other administration officials, the Times noted, were "similarly misleading in private sessions with lawmakers."
"During a Feb. 24 meeting with the so-called Gang of Eight — the leaders of the House and Senate and heads of the intelligence committees — Secretary of State Marco Rubio made no mention that the Trump administration was considering regime change, according to people familiar with his comments," the report said.