US Senate backs Elbridge Colby for Pentagon policy post

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By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A majority of the U.S. Senate voted on Tuesday to confirm Elbridge Colby, a former Department of Defense official known as a China hawk, as undersecretary of defense for policy, the Pentagon’s No. 3 post.

The Senate voted 54-45 in favor of confirming Republican President Donald Trump’s nominee, largely along party lines. Three Democrats voted in favor of Colby and one Republican voted against him, with another Republican not voting.

Colby was deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development during Trump’s first term as president. He is known for arguing that the U.S. military should prioritize competition with China and shift its focus from the Middle East and Europe.

Colby was closely questioned about those views by Democrats and some of Trump’s fellow Republicans during his confirmation hearing. He repeatedly declined to answer when asked if Russian President Vladimir Putin had invaded Ukraine, citing Trump’s ongoing “delicate” diplomacy.

He was strongly supported by those close to Trump, with Vice President JD Vance introducing him at his confirmation hearing. He also had the backing of Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., and close ally Elon Musk.

The only Senate Republican who voted against Colby’s confirmation on Tuesday was Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the party’s former leader.

At his confirmation hearing in March, Colby also was questioned about whether his view of defending Taiwan had softened. Colby said then that Taiwan needs to dramatically increase its defense spending to about 10% of gross domestic product in order to deter a war with China.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle in Washington; Editing by Mark Porter and Matthew Lewis)