A key Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee is quietly trying to block one of President Donald Trump’s Defense nominees over his stance on a nuclear Iran – a potential roadblock to his confirmation given the GOP’s slim Senate majority.
Sen. Tom Cotton is trying to slow or even stop the confirmation of former Defense official Elbridge Colby to serve as the under secretary of defense for policy. It’s a key Defense post that remains unmanned amid the ongoing confirmation process.
“Senator Cotton is focused on ensuring all defense nominees commit to supporting President Trump’s position that Iran must not have a nuclear weapon, and Cotton will be addressing this in meetings and hearings with the nominees,” a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital.
Colby has previously suggested that stopping Iran from getting a nuclear weapon would be more difficult than simply living with the circumstance. Cotton, a NeoCon, is vehemently opposed to Iran or any other nation acquiring nuclear capabilities.
He is working behind the scenes to prevent Colby from being confirmed.
Trump’s Choice
Sources familiar with Cotton’s stance say he’s trying to make sure the Pentagon is staffed by people who align with President Trump’s stance on Iran and other nations. But that’s not his call. If President Trump trusts Colby to do the job, then Cotton is not doing him any favors by blocking his selection.
Moreover, Colby’s role, while important, does not set policy. It is an advisory position with decisions about stopping Iran’s nuclear development falling on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and ultimately on President Trump himself. The administration isn’t looking for 100% agreement amongst its staff. It’s looking for honesty and loyalty, both of which have been exemplified by Colby in the past.
Lest we forget, Colby was one of the few military minds in Washington DC who opposed the Iraq War, just as then-private-citizen Trump did. It’s not up to Senator Cotton to decide if Colby’s ideology is aligned with his own. The only questions he needs to answer in his role of advising and consenting is whether or not Colby is qualified and if he’s a national security threat.
He’s definitely qualified and he does not pose a national security threat. Get him confirmed, Senator.
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