National Security Advisor Mike Waltz Knocks Down ‘Breathless Back-And-Forth’ Over Trump Defense Nominee Elbridge Colby
By Eireann Van Natta, Daily Caller News Foundation | February 20, 2025
National Security Advisor (NSA) Mike Waltz said the Trump administration is “full-speed ahead” in the race to confirm President Trump’s nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Elbridge Colby, amid reports that he’s facing opposition.
Daily Caller White House Correspondent Reagan Reese asked Waltz about the rumored opposition to Elbridge in a press briefing Thursday.
“There have been reports that there [is] some underground opposition to Trump’s pick … Have you or anyone from the administration been personally lobbying senators to support Elbridge Colby?”
“Look, I’ve worked with Bridge Colby in the past,” Waltz answered.
“He has the president’s full support to be the Under Secretary of Policy, which will be a critical policy arm for Secretary Hegseth going forward that will implement a lot of these policies — and really, that’s been the extent of it.”
He pushed back against the “breathless back-and-forth” in the media over Colby’s nomination.
“We’re full-speed ahead to get the president’s team in place so we can implement his America First policy,” Waltz added.
Colby previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development during the first Trump administration.
There are reports that Colby is facing scrutiny from some senators over some of his past statements on the Middle East, including Republican Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton. A source close to Cotton told Breitbart the senator has some concerns regarding Colby’s views on Iran.
Colby has previously cautioned against military action toward Iran and has argued that China is a greater threat to the U.S.
Donald Trump Jr. lambasted attacks against Colby and defended him in an opinion piece, deeming Colby a foreign policy “realist” strongly aligned with President Trump’s America First agenda.
“As the President has rightly made so clear, it is vital to focus our defense policy on restoring peace through strength and always putting America first,” Colby posted on X after he was nominated.
He appeared on Tucker Carlson’s podcast in November, shortly after the 2024 election.
Eireann Van Natta is an intelligence state reporter at the Daily Caller News Foundation
Original article link