Senate Confirms Elbridge Colby as Pentagon Defense Policy Chief

The new undersecretary of defense could be tested soon over his policy preferences in U.S. military strategy.

Elbridge Colby, President Donald Trump's nominee to be undersecretary of defense for policy, testifies during a confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Capitol Hill on March 4, 2025. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Senate voted to confirm Elbridge Colby as the next undersecretary of defense for policy on April 8, giving final validation for President Donald Trump’s pick for a top Pentagon strategy post.

Colby’s confirmation passed by a vote of 54–45. Now confirmed, he is set to serve as the top defense policy adviser to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and help shape U.S. national security policies.