President Donald Trump‘s pick for the Pentagon‘s undersecretary for policy has ignited a war within the Republican Party, splitting MAGA loyalists from conservative senators.
On Sunday, Vice President J.D. Vance and Elon Musk weighed in behind Elbridge Colby after criticism that he was a closet Democrat and that he was soft on Iran.
Vance said Colby had been right on some key questions and was a ‘serious realist.’
‘Bridge has consistently been correct about the big foreign policy debates of the last 20 years,’ he posted on X.
‘He was critical of the Iraq War, which made him unemployable in the 2000s era conservative movement. He built a relationship with [The Center for a New American Security] when it was one of the few institutions that would even hire a foreign policy realist.’
A string of controversial nominees has already been confirmed by the Senate, most recently Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
However, Colby has faced particular opposition from Senate Republicans, potentially derailing his confirmation.
Semafor reported that the effort is led by Sen. Tom Cotton.
President Donald Trump’s pick for Defense undersecretary for policy Elbridge Colby
Vice President J.D. Vance weighed in Sunday to support Colby’s nomination
A source close to Cotton told the news website: ‘Senator Cotton disagrees, opposes Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and is addressing his policy concerns with the White House.’
Colby has in the past suggested that the U.S. could contain a nuclear-armed Iran. Instead, he has said U.S. military resources should be refocused, away from the Middle East and Europe, and towards heading off war with China in future.
That has angered a big strand of the Republican Party that puts Israel at the heart of U.S. foreign policy.
Opponents have scoured his background, including a grandfather who ran the CIA and degrees from Harvard University and Yale Law School, to find what they see as evidence that he is too ‘establishment’ for the Trump administration.
The chief executive of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations wrote to the Senate Armed Services Committee setting out the group’s ‘serious concerns.’
It also set out questions that should be asked of Colby
‘In a recent appearance on Tucker Carlson’s podcast, you suggested that a military strike to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons lacked a ‘clear connection to American interests,”‘ runs one.
‘Can you elaborate on why you believe preventing a nuclear-armed Iran is not directly tied to U.S. national interests?’
The nominee has powerful allies, however.
‘Bridge has consistently been correct about the big foreign policy debates of the last 20 years,’ said Vance on X, pushing back on criticism of the nominee
World’s richest man Elon Musk is also backing Colby’s nomination
Arthur Schwarz, who is an adviser to Donald Trump, Jr. and who is close to Vance, is steering his nomination through the Senate.
And key Trump confidants, such as Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk, have urged his confirmation.
‘Colby is one of the most important pieces to stop the Bush/Cheney cabal at DOD,’ he posted.
Musk, the world’s richest man and now a key Trump lieutenant, driving cost cutting measures, weighed in on Sunday.
‘Why the opposition to Bridge?’ he posted in response to a story about Cotton’s objections. ‘What does he think Bridge will do?’
Announcing the nomination in December, Trump said: ‘Elbridge “Bridge” Colby will serve as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.
‘A highly respected advocate for our America First foreign and defense policy, Bridge will work closely with my outstanding Secretary of Defense Nominee, Pete Hegseth, to restore our Military power, and achieve my policy of PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH.’
Source link
