U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby just wrapped up a weeklong tour of Southeast Asia. His aim was to reassure allies and partners in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia that the United States will continue to prioritize the region. But the Trump administration’s actions continue to contradict top officials’ strategic messaging and fuel regional concerns of U.S. withdrawal.

In the Philippines, Colby gave a speech to the Stratbase Institute, where he laid out the case for Washington’s tough-love approach to the region. Colby derided the liberal commentariat for painting a picture of U.S. disengagement from the region, insisting that the United States was “digging in.”

U.S. Undersecretary of Defense Elbridge Colby just wrapped up a weeklong tour of Southeast Asia. His aim was to reassure allies and partners in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Cambodia that the United States will continue to prioritize the region. But the Trump administration’s actions continue to contradict top officials’ strategic messaging and fuel regional concerns of U.S. withdrawal.

In the Philippines, Colby gave a speech to the Stratbase Institute, where he laid out the case for Washington’s tough-love approach to the region. Colby derided the liberal commentariat for painting a picture of U.S. disengagement from the region, insisting that the United States was “digging in.”

At the same time, though, the administration redirected a U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS George Washington, from the Pacific to the Middle East to support operations against Iran. Washington has also shifted THAAD missile........

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