The Rise of Elbridge A. Colby: A Surprising Trump Ally
Elbridge A. Colby, a 45-year-old with deep roots in the foreign policy establishment, has emerged as an unexpected ally of former President Donald Trump. Colby, a grandson of former CIA Director William Colby, was educated at elite institutions like Groton, Harvard, and Yale Law School, and has spent his career working on complex national security issues such as nuclear weapons strategy and China’s military buildup. Despite his establishment background, Colby found himself at the center of a fierce political battle when Trump nominated him for a top Pentagon job. The opposition to his nomination came not from Trump’s base but from traditional Republican foreign policy hard-liners who are often at odds with Trump’s nationalist and inward-looking views. This unexpected dynamic highlighted the deep divisions within the Republican Party and the broader struggle over the direction of U.S. foreign policy.
A Transformation from GOP Insider to Trump Loyalist
Colby’s career was initially marked by bipartisan collaboration on national security issues, but his trajectory shifted significantly after Trump’s rise to power. Although he was not an early supporter of Trump, Colby’s willingness to work with the administration and his refusal to join the “Never Trump” movement made him a viable candidate for a Pentagon position. In 2017, he oversaw the development of the administration’s first National Defense Strategy, which criticized the costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and warned of the growing threats from Russia and China. However, Colby’s alignment with Trump deepened over time, particularly after he became a vocal supporter of figures like Sen. Josh Hawley, who challenged the 2020 election results. This shift alienated many of his former colleagues in the foreign policy establishment, who saw his actions as a betrayal of democratic principles.
The Fallout Over January 6 and Its Aftermath
Colby’s support for Hawley’s decision to object to the certification of the 2020 election results placed him at the center of controversy. His social media post backing Hawley’s stance aligned him with those who falsely claimed the election was stolen, a position that dismayed many of his longtime friends and colleagues. While Colby condemned the violence that erupted during the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, his initial support for Hawley’s actions damaged his reputation among foreign policy experts. Some, like James M. Acton of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, argued that Colby’s actions disqualified him from participating in national security discourse. The fallout led to a cooling of relationships with former colleagues, who distanced themselves from him both personally and professionally.
A New Path: Aligning with Trump’s Vision
In the years following the January 6 riot, Colby’s career took a different turn. He began to publish fewer scholarly papers and instead focused on hard-edged social media posts that aligned with Trump’s populist agenda. His appearances on platforms like Tucker Carlson’s show further cemented his reputation as a Trump loyalist. On Carlson’s program, Colby advocated for a new foreign policy approach that prioritized preparing for a potential war with China and shifting U.S. military resources away from Europe and the Middle East. He and Carlson criticized the Washington foreign policy elite as out of touch and ineffective, arguing that Trump’s unconventional approach was necessary to address the challenges posed by rising global powers.
The Confirmation Hearing: A Battleground for Foreign Policy
Colby’s Senate confirmation hearing for the position of under secretary of defense for policy became a microcosm of the broader debate over U.S. foreign policy. While Democrats pressed him on his stance on issues like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Republicans focused on his past statements about tolerating a nuclear-armed Iran and scaling back U.S. military presence abroad. Colby’s refusal to answer questions about Putin’s actions in Ukraine, citing Trump’s “delicate” diplomacy, drew criticism from Democrats, who argued that diplomacy should be based on truth. The hearing also highlighted the deep partisan divisions over Trump’s approach to foreign policy, particularly his handling of the war in Ukraine. While Democrats viewed Trump’s actions as reckless and damaging, Colby and Republican senators saw them as evidence of the president’s ability to negotiate and achieve results.
The Implications of Colby’s Rise
Elbridge A. Colby’s nomination and the surrounding controversy reflect the broader struggle within the Republican Party over its direction on foreign policy. His journey from a traditional GOP insider to a Trump loyalist highlights the challenges faced by the party in balancing its establishment roots with the populist, nationalist movement that Trump embodies. Colby’s willingness to embrace Trump’s agenda, including his baseless claims about the 2020 election, has made him a lightning rod for criticism from both Democrats and traditional Republicans. Yet, his ability to navigate this treacherous political landscape and gain the support of Trump’s base may signal a new era in Republican foreign policy, one that prioritizes confrontation with adversaries like China while challenging the conventional wisdom of the Washington establishment. As the GOP looks to the future, Colby’s story raises important questions about the balance between ideology, expertise, and loyalty in shaping U.S. foreign policy.
