Tom Cotton will meet with a key nominee after finding himself at apparent odds with some figures in the MAGA-sphere. (Getty Images/ Reuters)
Turning Point USA founder and CEO Charlie Kirk told Fox News Digital in an exclusive statement, "I'm very happy to hear that Sen. Cotton is willing to meet with Bridge," touting the nominee's accomplishments and "thoughtful" approach.
Whether his own public pressure on the senator via X played a part in the meeting, he said, "Both public and private pressure are important. Ideally, these debates don't play out in public, but sometimes it's necessary."
"What has become very clear to me in recent days is that the base is paying close attention to this confirmation, and there will be political consequences for any senator who stands in the way of the personnel President Trump wants," Kirk continued, adding that he hopes Cotton will ultimately back Colby.
Elbridge Colby speaks at the National Conservative Conference in Washington D.C., Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (Photo by DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
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"The effort to undermine President Trump continues in the US Senate," Kirk wrote.
He further claimed Cotton "is working behind the scenes to stop Trump’s pick, Elbridge Colby, from getting confirmed at DOD."
"Colby is one of the most important pieces to stop the Bush/Cheney cabal at DOD. Why is Tom Cotton doing this? Comment below your theories," he added.
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X owner Musk replied, "Why the opposition to Bridge? What does he think Bridge will do?"
"Senator Cotton is focused on ensuring all defense nominees commit to supporting President Trump’s position that Iran must not have a nuclear weapon, and Cotton will be addressing this in meetings and hearings with the nominees," a source familiar with the matter told Fox News Digital earlier this week as they awaited Colby's paperwork to proceed with the nomination process.
The White House did not provide comment when asked by Fox News Digital whether Colby's stance on a nuclear Iran had changed.
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Colby had written in an op-ed in 2010 that "[c]ontaining a nuclear Iran is an eminently plausible and practical objective."
He did, however, cede that "preventing an Iranian nuclear capability should be the objective of Washington and the international community."
Julia Johnson is a politics writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business, leading coverage of the U.S. Senate. She was previously a politics reporter at the Washington Examiner.
Follow Julia's reporting on X at @JuliaaJohnson_ and send tips to Julia.Johnson@fox.com.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/scoop-top-gop-sen-cotton-meet-embattled-trump-defense-nominee-doubts-swirl