Meet the Top War Skeptic Inside the Trump Pentagon
Elbridge Colby, a prominent foreign policy theorist in the Trump administration, advocates for prioritizing China over conflicts in the Middle East. Recently, he found himself defending the Iran war, which contradicts his long-standing skepticism of foreign military engagements. Colby's position highlights the complexities of Trump's foreign policy, which does not always align with his campaign promises.
- ▪Elbridge Colby is the under secretary of defense for policy in the Trump administration.
- ▪He has built his career on warning against foreign wars and advocating for a focus on China.
- ▪Colby recently defended the Iran war during a Senate committee hearing, despite his previous skepticism.
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| Original publisher | The Free Press |
| Canonical URL | https://www.thefp.com/p/meet-the-top-war-skeptic-inside-the-trump-pentagon-elbridge-colby |
| Publication time | Wed, 27 May 2026 23:48:40 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-05-27T23:53:06.336Z |
| Last seen | 2026-05-28T00:17:27.900Z |
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Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Meet the Top War Skeptic Inside the Trump PentagonElbridge Colby has emerged as a leading foreign policy theorist in the Trump administration advocating for a focus on China over conflicts in the Middle East. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)Elbridge Colby rose in Washington by warning against foreign wars, and he now leads defense policy. The Iran war is testing his influence and resolve.By Eli Lake05.27.26 — U.S. PoliticsFOLLOW COLUMN --:----:--Upgrade to ListenProduced by ElevenLabs using AI narrationOn March 3, Elbridge Colby found himself in the unusual position of having to defend a war he has spent most of his career warning against.
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