Vice President J.D. Vance sharply criticized Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday following McConnell’s lone Republican vote against President Donald Trump’s Defense Department nominee.
The Senate confirmed Elbridge Colby as under secretary of policy in a 54-45 vote, with support from notable Democrats including Senate Armed Services Committee Ranking Member Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, and Senator Elissa Slotkin of Michigan – all of whom have significant military or intelligence backgrounds.McConnell justified his opposition by claiming that Colby’s approach of “abandoning Ukraine and Europe and downplaying the Middle East to prioritize the Indo-Pacific is not a clever geopolitical chess move.
It is geostrategic self-harm that emboldens our adversaries and drives wedges between America and our allies for them to exploit.”The Kentucky senator’s criticism stems from his belief that Colby places too much emphasis on the Chinese threat while potentially neglecting other global conflicts, particularly the ongoing war in Ukraine.Colby brings substantial experience to the role, having served in multiple government positions including the Pentagon, State Department, and the office of the director of national intelligence. He played a key role in developing the 2018 national defense strategy during Trump’s presidency, which emphasized military preparedness for competition with Russia and China.
Vance took to social media platform X to lambast McConnell’s decision, describing it as one of the great acts of political pettiness I’ve ever seen.”
This vote aligns with McConnell’s pattern of opposing Trump nominees, including Pete Hegseth for defense secretary, Tulsi Gabbard for national intelligence director, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for health secretary, and Lori Chavez-DeRemer for labor secretary.
Following the confirmation, Hegseth expressed support for Colby on X, stating, “I look forward to working together to put our warfighters first and strengthen our national defense.”McConnell, who relinquished his position as Republican majority leader last autumn following health complications, intends to complete his current term through 2026 before retiring at age 83.
