Republicans Turn on Trump’s Pentagon Pick in Explosive Senate Showdown

Republicans tore into one of Donald Trump’s top Pentagon nominees on Tuesday, in a heated confirmation hearing that exposed growing fractures inside the GOP over foreign policy and military strategy.

Austin Dahmer, Trump’s pick for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities, faced sharp criticism from Republican senators who accused him of withholding information, making reckless strategic decisions, and brushing off congressional oversight.

The flashpoint came over a recent decision to pull a U.S. Army brigade out of Romania — a move that reduces America’s visible footprint along NATO’s eastern flank while Russia’s war in Ukraine continues.

Sen. Rick Scott challenged Dahmer directly, saying he falsely claimed Congress had been briefed multiple times before the drawdown. “Can you tell me who did those briefings and when?” Scott pressed. “Because I certainly wasn’t invited to any.”

Committee Chair Sen. Roger Wicker backed Scott up, saying his office also received no such briefing. Dahmer called the confusion a “miscommunication,” a response that visibly irritated several senators.

Republicans also criticized Dahmer and Pentagon policy chief Elbridge Colby for what they described as erratic decision-making and a dismissive attitude toward lawmakers who are supposed to be consulted on military posture changes. Sen. Dan Sullivan said members of his own party “can’t even get a response” from the Pentagon, adding, “We’re on your team.”

Colby, in particular, is becoming a flashpoint. GOP lawmakers privately and publicly describe him as difficult to work with, and some say his approach to U.S. force structure and alliance support appears uncoordinated. Several lawmakers warned that reducing troop strength in Romania could embolden Russia at a critical time.

Romanian leaders have publicly attempted to downplay the shift, calling it a “strategic repositioning, not a withdrawal.” About 1,000 U.S. troops will remain in the country.

Inside Washington, however, the move has sparked broader questions about whether Trump’s national security team is aligned with one another — or with the administration’s stated strategic goals. Dahmer’s nomination is now uncertain, with several Republicans signaling they may not support advancing him.

The hearing underscored a growing divide in the GOP: one faction pushing to restrain U.S. commitments abroad, and another warning that sudden drawdowns signal weakness to adversaries.

For now, the Republican split that Trump has worked hard to keep hidden was on full display — and the Pentagon nominee caught in the middle may be the first casualty.

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