Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton supported the Biden Administration’s decision this week to escalate retaliatory attacks against Houthi rebels for their ongoing targeting of shipping in the region.
Well, by supported, he did it in a way that cast plenty of blame on the Biden Administration: “Things should’ve never gotten this far.”
Early in his administration, Biden chose to delist the group as a foreign terrorist organization, but is now quickly reversing course — a switcheroo that enables Cotton to both support Biden’s move, while attacking him.
Below the post is Cotton’s Speech on the floor this week, in which he excoriates Biden and expresses his contempt for the Houthis and the havoc they’re creating.
2028 Implications: This might not seem important, but it’s a key trend.
Cotton has consistently taken a more interventionist approach to foreign policy than the populist base he’d need.
And this is yet another example.
Cotton seems to have 2028 ambitions, has even been mentioned as a possible, key figure in a Trump Administration (the two have a close relationship). That idea would cheer establishment Republicans, but most likely, provoke populists, even though Cotton has achieved some cred with the base thanks to his hard-line positions and rhetoric on immigration, trashing the January 6th indictment, and lending his support earlier this month to Trump’s nomination.
Cotton tweeted: “If you vote for President Trump, you don’t have to guess what will happen. You can know for certain that he’ll deliver on the border, the economy, and national security because he already did it.”
Going forward, this decision reveals his more expansive view of American foreign policy, even while the party heads in the opposite direction.
In fact, as Bradley Devlin reports, Biden’s decision to retaliate more forcefully is already provoking the ire of populist GOP figures like Utah Sen. Mike Lee. And no doubt, will continue to.
For many Republicans, the Houthi situation might seem tangential to the argument over Ukraine/Russia, Israel/Gaza.
But pols can reveal their basic orientations on matters like this.
Cotton is smart. Is it possible he’s more content to stay in his lane and take a position in a Trump Admin than run in an increasingly isolationist party?