On a day that President Trump discussed the “big decision” he faces regarding the war with Iran, the number three person at the Pentagon got a rough review from both sides of the aisle for his briefing to the Senate Armed Services Committee on the war and the Trump administration’s National Defense Strategy. 

Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon policy chief, was criticized for his lack of an opening statement and for answers that were considered not very informative. 

Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said “There were a lot more questions than answers,” and called it “very peculiar” and “weird” that Colby did not have a statement prepared for this congressionally mandated hearing. He called the exchange “very disrespectful to say the least” and a “dodge and punt” on Colby’s part, according to The Hill.

“You don’t have to go far in Congress to have a sort of confrontational view of Elbridge Colby, but boy, he just blew her up right from the beginning,” Cramer added.

Another Republican on the committee, Sen. Joni Ernst, Iowa, said she was “very disappointed” by the briefing. “I did not stay to ask questions because he was not giving any clear responses,” said Ernst. 

Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said Iran turned out to be the main topic of the briefing, though it had been scheduled to discuss the National Defense Strategy.

But, “like a lot of the briefs we get from this administration, we walk out with more questions than we had when we went in,” Kelly told reporters.