At Hearing, Trump Military Leader Admits to Warren the Hypocrisy Between Trump’s National Defense Strategy and Military Strikes in Iran
Trump military leader: Protecting Israel “one of the goals” of military action in Iran, along with overthrowing the Iranian government.
Washington, D.C. — At a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) pressed Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby about the Trump administration’s justification for launching a war in Iran.
In January, the Trump administration released its National Defense Strategy, which committed the military to an “America First” strategy and no longer being “distracted by interventionism, endless wars, regime change, and nation building.”
Under Secretary Colby declined to provide a straight answer when asked whether starting a war with Iran was putting “America First,” saying that the goal of the campaign is to “ensur[e] it doesn't have a nuclear weapon.”
Under Secretary Colby denied that military action in Iran was interventionism, which he defined as a "kind of responsibility to protect." When Senator Warren asked him if the Trump administration launched this war to protect Israel, he said "well, that's one of the goals." Colby also denied military action is about regime change, but agreed that "the President has said this is an opportunity for the people of Iran to rise up and overthrow their oppressors."
“Interventionism—that means going to another country and bombing them. Endless wars—wars that may last we don't know how long because there is no clear endpoint. Regime change—which the President has said this is all about. And nation-building—evidently, the President seems to think he is going to come in and build a different Iran,” Senator Warren rebutted.
“[T]hat is now the policy of the Trump administration: say one thing in a campaign, write it down on paper, then go do whatever the hell you want. That is wrong,” concluded Senator Warren.
Transcript: Hearing on the National Defense Strategy
Senate Armed Services Committee
March 3, 2026
Senator Elizabeth Warren: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, over the weekend, Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu watched illegal strikes against Iran. This war for regime change is both unconstitutional and dangerous. Now, we have already lost six service members in this war, and President Trump has said, "We may have casualties. That often happens in war."
Yesterday in his briefing to the American people on why our sons and daughters are being sent to war, Trump highlighted the quality of the White House drapes he had purchased and the gold ballroom that he is building, giving us a sense of what is top of mind for him. Under Secretary Colby, both you and I have sworn an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States.
Under the Constitution, who declares war, the President or Congress?
Mr. Elbridge Colby, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy: Congress declares war if I understand correctly.
Senator Warren: Thank you. You know, all three of my brothers served in the military. This is personal for me. I am praying for the families who have already lost loved ones and for all of our troops that the President has put in harm's way without legal justification or moral justification. Donald Trump ran on lowering prices on Day One and on a "pro-peace ticket." He called himself "The Peace President," and, of course, he claims to put “America First.”
So, Under Secretary Colby, do you think "America First” means starting another war in the Middle East?
Under Secretary Colby: Well, Senator, I would just say the administration does have a legal and moral justification and I would certainly support the idea that the President is the “President of Peace.” First of all, he has brokered multiple—
Senator Warren: Well, all I can say is boy, the justification sure seems to be changing every 20 minutes. But could you answer the question I just asked you? And that is: do you think “America First” means starting another war in the Middle East?
Under Secretary Colby: I would say “America First” and “Peace through Strength” are served by rolling back—as the military campaign was designed to do—the threats posed by Iran's large—very large and growing—missile and one-way attack drone program, its Navy, and, of course, ensuring it doesn't have a nuclear weapon. And in fact, I think the evidence—the proof of that—is demonstrated by the global support for this initiative—
Senator Warren: So you think “America First” means starting a war anywhere, at any time. You know, I’m confused because you are here to discuss the Trump administration's National Defense Strategy, and I’ll quote it back to you: "No longer will the Department be distracted by interventionism, endless wars, regime change, and nation building."
Interventionism—that means going to another country and bombing them. Endless wars—wars that may last we don't know how long because there is no clear endpoint. Regime change—which the President has said this is all about. And nation-building—evidently, the President seems to think he is going to come in and build a different Iran.
Now, is that putting “America First” and following your own foreign policy?
Under Secretary Colby: I think I would characterize it fundamentally differently. The Defense Strategy does talk about the threat posed by Iran and the need to have credible military options and I don’t think this is—certainly as we understand from him and in the goals of the military campaign—this is not nation building. This is not going to be endless, as the President and Vice President—
Senator Warren: So this is not, in your mind, interventionism?
Under Secretary Colby: I don't think this is—no, I don’t think that’s what—nation building, endless wars, that’s definitely not—
Senator Warren: Interventionism, that’s actually the very first word in the Department of Defense—
Under Secretary Colby: Interventionism is more, I would say, a kind of responsibility to protect or something. It’s obviously not something that’s precisely defined.
Senator Warren: Really? And we didn’t do this in order to try to protect Israel?
Under Secretary Colby: I think that—well, that’s one of the goals. Obviously we’re serving our own interests—
Senator Warren: Oh, so it is interventionism? And how about the endless war part? Is there a clear goal that we will know when this is over?
Under Secretary Colby: Well, I don't think this is going to be an endless war. Well, the President is going to decide exactly how we do it. The military campaigns have clearly defined scope goals.
Senator Warren: And the regime change part? Remind me about that. The President, of course, has called it regime change. Do you disagree with him?
Under Secretary Colby: No, I think the President has said this is an opportunity for the people of Iran to rise up and overthrow their oppressors. But has he indicated that the Venezuela model is one that could—
Senator Warren: Now, he has called on them to do that. Does that sound like regime change to you?
Under Secretary Colby: I think the goals of the military—obviously, allowing the Iranian people to take this matter into their own hands is one of the options here but the American military campaign has got more scope goals.
Senator Warren: That is great. So the Trump administration first says it is going to be America first and then puts out a National Defense Strategy and then goes to war alongside Israel illegally, unconstitutionally. And that is now the policy of the Trump administration: say one thing in a campaign, write it down on paper, then go do whatever the hell you want. That is wrong.
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