Wicker’s comments were largely directed to Austin Dahmer, Colby’s acting deputy, whom Trump has nominated to become assistant secretary for strategy, plans and capabilities. Dahmer is one of Colby’s key allies at the Pentagon.
Dahmer was also grilled by Republican senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who complained the AUKUS review surprised Australia, the UK and Trump administration officials.
Roger Wicker, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, complained that the Pentagon’s review cast doubt on AUKUS despite the president’s strong support.Credit: Bloomberg
“It just seems like there’s this pig pen-like mess coming out of the policy shop that you don’t see from [other areas of the Pentagon],” Cotton said.
Dahmer said the AUKUS review was directed by Hegseth, and it was natural to examine the Biden-era initiative. However, he hinted that the Pentagon still had concerns.
Asked to confirm that the deal was now full steam ahead, as the president said, Dahmer said: “I would welcome the opportunity to brief you in a classified setting on the conclusions and recommendations of the review, but I think President Trump was absolutely clear that he supports AUKUS, and we’re moving forward.”
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Wicker later queried that statement. “There’s nothing classified about the fact that we’re full steam ahead with AUKUS,” he said.
In his opening remarks, Dahmer noted a key Pentagon objective was to ensure that “our efforts to arm allies and partners strengthen, and do not detract from, our ability to execute the [US defence] strategy”.
Dan Sullivan, a Republican senator from Alaska, said it appeared to the committee that key decisions made by the policy unit of the Pentagon “are undermining what the president is trying to get done”. He also excoriated Colby for being secretive and difficult to contact.
“You know who the hardest guy to get a hold of in the Trump administration is? The undersecretary of defence for policy,” Sullivan said.
“The guy you’re going to go work for has been really bad on this. The worst in the administration … I can’t even get a response, and we’re on your team! You’re not helping yourselves – you’re not.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese meeting with Republican senator Roger Wicker (centre) and other members of Congress in 2023.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
The comments from the Republican senators reflect the long-standing bipartisan support AUKUS has enjoyed in Congress, even when that support appeared to waver in parts of the administration.
Lisa Curtis, director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Centre for a New American Security, previously told this masthead she expected Republicans to be bolder in their support for AUKUS now that the president had given it his imprimatur.
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“The announcement of the Pentagon review had led officials to publicly hedge their comments on the initiative. I think that will no longer be the case,” she said after the Albanese visit.
In a statement, the Pentagon confirmed its AUKUS review was ongoing.“We have no further AUKUS updates to announce at this time,” a War Department official said.
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