A pivot to Asia—and toward a modern American foreign policy.
For nearly 15 years, American politicians have been clamoring for a “pivot to Asia” as they rightly recognize the growing threat posed by China, and the need to realign our strategic priorities accordingly. Yet across multiple administrations, the will fades. American leaders have instead dedicated much treasure and precious strategic attention to the latest developments in the ongoing reordering of Europe, or whichever Middle Eastern intrigue they are told will bring legacy-burnishing breakthroughs.
As the D.C. blob and the Reddit-screaming consultant class speed us toward disaster, the American people no longer countenance the breadth of international commitments their leaders cling to. The gap between what the elite wish for and what the people will tolerate is where America’s greatest risk lies. Folly, blunder, catastrophe: all are squarely in our future if we don’t act now to change course.
Our leaders’ unwillingness to make painful tradeoffs does not save us from pain—it only saves them from accountability. In fact, their choices make unavoidable pain more unpredictable, and more serious.
The best way to avoid catastrophe in the next decade is to make an unambiguous and bold statement of American interests, and a commitment to address the primary threats to our country. Strategic clarity is itself a public good. It would alleviate some of the potential risks during our dismount from our current role as global sheriff. And it would allow America to start charting our own course once again versus simply reacting to Russia, Hamas, or other powers.
Elbridge Colby, President Trump’s nominee for Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, presents the clearest and best arguments for these priorities. The reason Colby’s nomination rattles some is because he shows a way forward now unfamiliar to so many in Washington: strategic clarity with American interests at the fore.
Fifteen years of rhetoric about prioritizing Asia has been cheap; Colby would turn it into action. We’d cross two bridges at once: the pivot to Asia we’ve long needed and the pivot to a modern, sustainable foreign policy in an era of American populism.
For decades, American defense policy has suffered from strategic drift, a failure to set clear priorities, and our military being spread too thin across multiple theaters. This approach has led to wasted resources, unnecessary conflicts, and a diminished ability to deter the most consequential threats.
Colby personifies a much-needed course correction. He understands that deterring China in the Indo-Pacific must be America’s foremost military objective. That is not some theoretical assertion—it is an urgent reality, one that demands leadership unencumbered by outdated assumptions and legacy commitments that no longer serve American security. Put more simply, if we don’t get this right, we risk a real war with China that defies a clear and decisive end absent the use of nuclear weapons.
To the senators mulling Colby’s confirmation, please remember this: maybe there’s another nominee you’ll find who provides all the pat answers on their steadfast support for Israel, their toughness on Iran, and their zeal to counter Russia. But that nominee would also all but guarantee that we remain locked on our current path of strategic incoherence, half-measures, and misallocations. Instead, Colby will make sure the U.S. is prepared for when the biggest chess pieces begin to move on the board.
A Pentagon that refuses to prioritize China is a Pentagon that is failing at its most basic duty.
Bridge will not let that happen.
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