SENATORS REVOLT

Republicans Tear Into Trump’s Pentagon Pick in Fiery Hearing

The grilling of Austin Dahmer exposes potential cracks in the party.

Republicans clashed with President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Pentagon’s policy office in a heated hearing that put internal GOP tensions on full public display.

The striking intra-party revolt erupted on Capitol Hill as senators assailed one of Trump’s picks for a senior role at the Department of Defense, which the president has renamed the Department of War.

Austin Dahmer, the nominee for assistant secretary of defense for strategy, plans, and capabilities, was ripped to shreds over several major policy decisions, including the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Romania, suspending some assistance to war-torn Ukraine, and for being difficult to reach.

The fiery exchanges, during a confirmation hearing for Trump’s Pentagon nominees on Tuesday, exposed cracks in the party, which typically displays a united front.

In a statement to the Daily Beast, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said: “President Trump is running the most transparent administration in history, including at the Department of War, where he fully backs Secretary Hegseth and his team.”

Several lawmakers expressed disappointment in Dahmer and Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby. Some said the duo have been uncooperative and that policy decisions appeared “uncoordinated,” The Washington Post reported.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott accused Dahmer of lying when he said Congress had been briefed multiple times on the decision to reduce the U.S. troop presence in Europe by moving to pull out a brigade of U.S. troops from Romania, including at an air base.

About 1,000 U.S. troops will remain in the country, and Romanian President Nicușor Dan has described the move as “a strategic reconfiguration, not a withdrawal.”

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Trump Makes Fox News Star His Pentagon Chief

William Vaillancourt

But some fear that the decreased U.S. military presence could undermine security in the region and embolden Moscow to expand Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Trump is desperately trying to put an end to.

“Can you tell me who did [the briefings] and the dates, because I wasn’t invited,” the senator asked.

Sen. Roger Wicker, the committee chair, also said the briefings did not take place. “Where did you get that information?” he asked, pausing the hearing.

Dahmer suggested the situation resulted from a miscommunication.

A frustrated Sen. Dan Sullivan said he and other Republican lawmakers “can’t even get a response… and we’re on your team.”

The Alaska Republican also singled out Colby as being “really bad on this. The worst in the administration.”

In a statement to the Daily Beast, Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said: “All DoW components engage with Congress on a very regular basis, in line with guidance established by the Secretary to ensure that we are being as responsive and transparent as possible. The Policy organization alone, under the leadership of Under Secretary Colby, has briefed Congress dozens of times, in both classified and unclassified settings, in addition to other meetings. The Department values its relationship with the Hill, and we look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with Congress to support President Trump’s national defense priorities.”

When approached for comment, the Pentagon told the Post that the Armed Services Committee had been “pre-notified” about the plan to withdraw troops from Romania and that “briefings were offered” to lawmakers this week.

It remains unclear whether Dahmer’s nomination will be advanced.

In July, multiple sources who spoke to Politico claimed Colby had blindsided senior administration officials and foreign allies with a series of rogue foreign policy moves that didn’t align with Trump’s priorities.

Play Video

See more of our coverage in your search results.

ADD THE DAILY BEAST ON GOOGLE

Isabel van BrugenFreelance Writer

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.