Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:47 pm
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) was asked multiple times on Sunday to condemn Trump’s praise of Putin and he refused.
Tom Cotton Refuses To Condemn Trump
Video of Tom Cotton on ABC’s This Week:
Sen. Tom Cotton refuses to condemn former Pres. Trump’s praise of Russian leader Vladimir Putin when repeatedly pressed by @GStephanopoulos.
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“I don't speak on behalf of other politicians, they can all speak for themselves," Cotton says. https://t.co/OKroFJBrSM pic.twitter.com/MzR7cFtbpX
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) February 27, 2022
Transcript via ABC’s This Week:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Are you prepared to condemn that kind of rhetoric from the leader of your party?
COTTON: George, you heard what I had to say about Vladimir Putin. That he is a ruthless dictator who’s launched a naked, unprovoked war of aggression. Thankfully, the Ukrainian army has anti-tank missiles that President Obama would not supply, that we did supply last time Republicans were in charge in Washington.
That’s why it’s so urgent that we continue to supply those weapons to Ukraine.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Why can’t you condemn Donald Trump for those comments?
COTTON: George, if you want to know what Donald Trump thinks about Vladimir Putin or any other topic, I’d encourage you to invite him on your show. I don’t speak on behalf of other politicians. They can speak for themselves.
I speak on behalf of Arkansans, who I talked to this week and who are appalled at what they saw in Ukraine and they want me right now to fight in Washington to support those brave Ukrainians.
STEPHANOPOULOS: You’re a senior member of the Republican Party. Donald Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. He said last night again, suggested that he’d be running for president. When Fox News asked him if he had a message for Vladimir Putin, he said he has no message.
Why can’t you condemn that?
I feel quite confident that if Donald — that if a Barack Obama or Joe Biden said something like that, you’d be first in line to criticize him.
COTTON: Again, George, if you want to talk to the former president about his views or his message, you can have him on your show.
Putin Wins When Republicans Refuse To Condemn Trump
When Republicans like Tom Cotton refuse to condemn Donald Trump for praising Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the Russian dictator wins.
Republicans can’t support both Ukraine and Trump.
Trump is firmly on the side of Putin, and Republicans like Tom Cotton need to decide if they are the Putin Party or the Republican Party.
Sen. Cotton sounded like a weak-kneed coward who was so afraid to do the right thing that he crumbled under pressure and dodged the questions.
Anyone who refuses to condemn Trump is enabling Putin.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
