IVAN ELAND, ieland[at]independent.org, @Ivan_Eland

Eland is senior fellow and director of the Center on Peace & Liberty at the Independent Institute.

He said today, “Donald Trump, during the campaign, refreshingly advocated fewer foreign wars and a reassessment of U.S. alliances around the world, but his rumored consideration of Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Sen. Bob Corker (Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee), or John Bolton disappointingly point in the direction of continuing the standard Republican hawkish foreign policy of George W. Bush — about which Trump complained in the campaign.

“For defense secretary, the seeming consideration of Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), Stephen Hadley, and former Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) seem to go down the same road.

“The apparent consideration of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn and Rep.Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) for National Security Adviser, also have a hawkish tinge.

“Some new voices on the right advocating a more restrained foreign policy are needed — to be more aligned with Trump’s campaign promise to the American people to get involved in fewer foreign wars and reassess, and perhaps scale back, the U.S. role in globe-spanning alliances.”