GOP Snake In The Grass, Tom Cotton

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The battle over President Donald Trump’s national security team is heating up, and once again, it’s not just the Democrats causing problems—it’s the old-guard, Bush-era Republicans who can’t stand that Trump is reshaping the GOP in his America First image. The latest example? Senator Tom Cotton is reportedly working behind the scenes to sabotage Trump’s nominee for Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, Elbridge Colby.

Colby is exactly the kind of realist Trump needs at the Pentagon. He’s a serious, strategic thinker who understands that America’s foreign policy must prioritize China over the endless distractions of the Middle East. But Cotton—a neoconservative relic from the Bush era—seems determined to block Colby, using concerns about Iran’s nuclear program as an excuse to derail his confirmation.

Let’s be clear: this isn’t about Iran. Cotton’s opposition to Colby is about maintaining the same failed interventionist policies that Trump was elected to dismantle. Colby represents a break from the Bush-Cheney doctrine of forever wars, and that makes him a threat to the old GOP establishment.

The pushback against Cotton has been swift. Elon Musk, Trump’s ally and leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), directly questioned Cotton’s motives. “Why the opposition to Bridge? What does he think Bridge will do?” Musk posted on X.

Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, called out Cotton’s backroom efforts, saying, “The effort to undermine President Trump continues in the US Senate. @SenTomCotton is working behind the scenes to stop Trump’s pick, Elbridge Colby, from getting confirmed at DOD. Colby is one of the most important pieces to stop the Bush/Cheney cabal at DOD. Why is Tom Cotton doing this?”

This isn’t just about one nomination—it’s about whether Trump will be able to fully implement his foreign policy vision. Colby’s appointment would signal a shift away from the failed strategies of the past and toward a more focused, America First approach.

Vice President J.D. Vance has been one of Colby’s strongest defenders, reminding conservatives that Colby has been right on foreign policy for decades:

“Bridge has consistently been correct about the big foreign policy debates of the last 20 years. He was critical of the Iraq War, which made him unemployable in the 2000s era conservative movement. He built a relationship with CNAS when it was one of the few institutions that would even hire a foreign policy realist.”

Other key conservatives are rallying around Colby as well. Senator Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) made it clear why the establishment fears him:

“.@ElbridgeColby is a fighter who will execute President Trump’s mandate to end decades of DC foreign policy failures and stop forever wars abroad—The reason the establishment fears him is because he’s 100% aligned with Trump's agenda. Senate Republicans should confirm him ASAP!"

And then there’s General Michael Flynn, Trump’s former National Security Advisor, who dropped a cryptic but telling statement about Cotton’s real motivations:

“Cotton has other problems that he doesn’t want exposed. He’ll support Colby.”

What exactly does Flynn mean by “other problems”? That remains to be seen, but it’s clear that Cotton’s opposition isn’t based on principle—it’s about protecting the failed neoconservative status quo.

Cotton isn’t alone in his efforts. The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations has sent a letter to the Senate Armed Services Committee raising concerns about Colby’s belief that the U.S. needs to scale back its military involvement in the Middle East. In other words, they’re alarmed that Colby actually wants to end America’s endless wars—a position that aligns perfectly with Trump’s vision but threatens the interests of Washington’s interventionist class.

Meanwhile, Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) has admitted that a number of senators are expressing concerns about Colby’s views. This is the classic D.C. game: when an outsider like Colby threatens to shake things up, the establishment comes together to slow-walk the confirmation process and drown him in bureaucracy.

The stakes here couldn’t be higher. If Trump wants to reshape America’s foreign policy, he needs people like Colby at the Pentagon. He needs fighters who will stand up to the entrenched military-industrial complex, prioritize China over the Middle East, and finally put an end to the disastrous interventions that have cost America so much.

And that’s exactly why Cotton is trying to stop him.

The reality is, Colby’s views are completely in line with what Trump has been saying for years. It’s the Tom Cottons of the world who are out of step with the modern Republican Party. Cotton has built his brand as a hawkish interventionist, always eager to send American troops into yet another foreign conflict. That might have worked in the Bush years, but Trump has changed the party—and the country—forever.

The MAGA movement has made it clear: no more forever wars, no more wasted trillions, and no more sacrificing American interests for globalist ambitions.

Cotton’s attempts to sabotage one of Trump’s best nominees are a betrayal of everything the America First movement stands for. He’s putting his own neoconservative ideology ahead of what’s best for the country, and he’s openly defying the president he claims to support.

If Cotton and his allies in the Senate block Colby, it will be a massive victory for the Bush-Cheney wing of the GOP—a wing that should have been permanently retired when Trump was first elected in 2016.

Senate Republicans need to wake up. This is Trump’s party now, and Trump’s foreign policy agenda is the future.

Elbridge Colby should be confirmed immediately, and if Tom Cotton wants to stand in the way, he should be called out for what he is—an enemy of the America First movement.

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