The US Senate has confirmed General Charles Brown to be the chief of the US Air Force, the first time an African-American has headed a branch of the military. President Donald Trump jumped the gun to take a victory lap on Twitter.
The president tweeted on Tuesday afternoon – about an hour before the Senate took up the vote – that Brown’s nomination has “now been approved,” calling the general a “patriot and great leader” and declaring this a “historic day for America.”
The final vote was 98-0, with no senators opposed, Vice President Mike Pence announced shortly before 3 pm on Wednesday.
Trump nominated Brown in March, long before the protest and riots alleging “systemic racism” in the US erupted following the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. Even though both the protests and police brutality the demonstrators complained about primarily happened in major cities where all levels of power are held by Democrats, the media still blamed Trump for it.
Pence went to the Capitol to personally preside over the vote, with his press secretary saying that he wanted to “witness an incredible moment in American history” of the “first-ever Black service chief” getting confirmed.
Brown previously commanded the Pacific Air Forces, and last week posted a personal message about Floyd’s death and the protests that followed.
His nomination had been held up by Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), reportedly over concerns about the future USAF presence in his state, according to the Daily Caller. He replaces General David Lee Goldfein, who has served as USAF chief of staff since July 2016.
Until Brown’s confirmation, there have been no African-American service chiefs in US history. General Colin Powell, of Afro-Caribbean ancestry, served as chairman of the Joint Chiefs between 1989 and 1993.
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