If confirmed, Elbridge Colby would play a key role in advising the secretary of defense and shape U.S. national security policies.
WASHINGTON—Some Republicans may still need convincing before they agree to support President Donald Trump’s nominee for a key Pentagon strategy post.
Elbridge Colby is set to appear before the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 4, as the Senate considers his nomination to serve as the under-secretary of defense for policy.
If confirmed, Colby would serve as the principal defense policy adviser for the secretary of defense and would help shape U.S. national security policies.
Colby’s nomination has appeared to split elected Republicans and conservative commentators.
Conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk took to the X social media platform on Feb. 16, saying Colby’s nomination is an important component in an effort to stop a “Bush/Cheney cabal” within the Department of Defense.
Kirk accused Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) of trying to undermine Trump by opposing Colby’s Senate confirmation.
Sitting for a podcast interview with Clay Travis and Buck Sexton on Feb. 18, Cotton said one of his top priorities is to ensure Iran doesn’t obtain nuclear weapons.
Cotton said he and Trump are aligned in their opposition to a nuclear-armed Iran.
The Arkansas senator, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, said his priority with any nominee for a national security position is to ensure nominees are similarly aligned in those views.
“I look forward to speaking to [Colby] about, you know, what he’s written about Iran in the past, what he thinks now, how he sees that fitting in with President Trump’s declared priority of stopping Iran from getting nuclear weapons,” Cotton said.
Since the podcast appearance, Cotton has not said whether he has met with Colby or cleared up any concerns about Colby’s views on Iran.
During a podcast appearance with Fox News Radio’s Will Cain, Cotton mentioned “other issues” he would like to explore with Colby.
In the past, the Arkansas Republican and Colby have offered divergent perspectives on the Russia-Ukraine war and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
