Republican Defense Hawks Have Had It With Party Populists

  • Frustration with blockade of military promotions boils over
  • Anger at Trump-aligned wing bolsters odds for Ukraine aid
Senator Dan SullivanPhotographer: Eric Lee/Bloomberg
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Senate Republicans who favor a strong US military have begun to directly challenge party populists over national security, raising the odds for more Ukraine aid and an end to a months-long blockade on Pentagon promotions.

The so-called defense hawks, once the power center of a party that has grown increasingly isolationist, have become more assertive amid a war in the Middle East, rising tensions between China and its neighbors and a struggle over whether to continue assistance to Ukraine in its defense against Russia’s invasion.