Are Trump's military picks based on merit or loyalty? 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. 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.