In an interview with Chris Ryan and Justin McIsaac, Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican from Arkansas, discusses the impeachment of President Trump, suggests what should be done to ensure that the integrity of future elections, evaluates what parts of the next COVID relief package could get Republican support, assesses the beginning days of the Biden Administration, and makes a statement about his own presidential ambitions.
Senator Cotton, who has a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from Harvard, says that the Senate does not have the constitutional authority to put a former president on trial.
The Senator feels that President Trump’s defense team would have a stronger case pursuing the unconstitutional nature of the Senate proceedings than to relitigate the President’s claims of election fraud and the dubious, last-minute changes made to election laws in some states.
Although he voted to certify the results of the Electoral College, Senator Cotton believes that the Presidential Election of 2020 lies somewhere between the Democrat claims that it was pristine and President Trump’s claim that it was stolen. The Senator calls for the state legislatures to examine their state election laws and to make sure that dangerous practices which were put in place because of the pandemic are not perpetuated.
Senator Cotton believes that there is some support from Senate Republicans for the next $2 trillion COVID relief package, if it is for increased vaccine production and distribution, and extending unemployment benefits. Tom Cotton and his colleagues are not for giving money, with no strings attached, to states which were fiscally irresponsible prior to COVID-19.
When he looks at the record number of executive orders which President Biden has issued since he took office, Senator Cotton is disappointed that there has been no attempt to work with Congress or to reach bipartisan compromises. The Senator was critical of President Biden eliminating, with just the stroke of a pen, ten thousand blue collar jobs by shutting down the Keystone pipeline and increasing immigration when ten million American citizens are out of work.
In conclusion, Senator Cotton left his presidential ambitions rather open when he said this about his future, “In 2022, New Hampshire is going to be the center of the political universe. We have a chance to win a Senate seat there. We have a chance to win a Congressional seat there, as well. I’ve been to