Trump Pick for Defense Post Wins Endorsement of Heritage Foundation

The Heritage Foundation gave a resounding endorsement Thursday to Elbridge Colby, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be undersecretary of defense for policy. 

In a post on X, the conservative think tank released an advertisement praising the foreign-policy expert.

A spokeswoman for Heritage told The Daily Signal:

Elbridge Colby is a fantastic choice for undersecretary of defense for policy. His expertise in defense policy and strategic vision for the department is unparalleled.

Under his and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s leadership, we will once again have a Department of Defense that puts America first. Heritage is proud to stand alongside Elbridge Colby.

Colby previously served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy and force development in the first Trump administration. A gra Yale Law School, he has been a respected foreign-policy thinker for nearly two decades.

Colby was the Robert M. Gates senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security from 2014 to 2017. He spent has had postings at the Defense Department, the State Department, and in the intelligence community. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

The strong endorsement of Colby comes after The Heritage Foundation successfully lobbied for Pete Hegseth to be secretary of defense.

The Heritage Foundation and Heritage Action for America spent $50,000 to help get Hegseth across the confirmation finish line with the Senate. Hegseth has set to work reorienting the Defense Department and United States armed services to represent the commander in chief’s priorities.

Despite attempts by some in the Pentagon to oppose the Make America Great Again agenda, the Trump administration appears confident in its ability to reform the federal government. But doing so will require placing Trump appointees at all levels of government, not just in the top Cabinet positions.

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts wrote on X that Colby was “a formidable intellect—a titan among defense strategists in our time and undoubtedly the most significant thinker in defense policy we’ve seen in over two decades.”

“Heritage proudly stands with him.”

Rep. Riley Moore, R-W.Va., also praised Colby in a response to Roberts’ endorsement. 

Moore and Roberts are just the latest conservatives to come out in favor of Colby. Many Republicans and conservatives expressed support for the defense strategist last week, including Vice President JD Vance, Elon Musk, and political commentator Hugh Hewitt. 

On Wednesday, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, added his support, posting on X a photo of himself with Colby. The nominee will testify at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 4.

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