Click here to view Senator Cotton’s Interview

In case you missed it — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) joined Brian Kilmeade on “Fox and Friends” to discuss President elect Donald Trump’s cabinet nominations, and how the ongoing war in the Middle East could soon change.

In part, Senator Cotton said:

“The new Senate will be sworn in on January 3rd—17 days before Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20th. We can have committee hearings on these nominees even before the president is formally inaugurated. That means, on January 20th, as soon as the president delivers his inaugural address, he can walk into the Capitol and sign the papers to submit these nominations. From there, the committees can immediately vote and move them to the floor. In 2009, the Senate confirmed nine of Barack Obama’s cabinet nominees in the first 48 hours. In 2017, the Democrats refused to do that, but I think that should be the baseline this time. There won’t be the leisurely pace we’ve sometimes seen in the past. I expect we’ll be in session and working around the clock to get these nominations through so that President Trump’s team is in place promptly.”

Senator Cotton’s full interview may be found here and below.

Brian Kilmeade: Senator Cotton, congratulations on your leadership position, and also on becoming the chairman of the Intelligence Committee. What are your thoughts on the speed at which we’re seeing these nominees come through?

Senator Cotton: Well, thank you, Brian. I appreciate that. We shouldn’t be surprised that President Trump is moving quickly. He’s already been president, so he knows how to do the job. He knows the kind of people he wants on the team, and he campaigned on a promise to shake things up in Washington. He wants to avoid conventional selections and bring in people who are committed to clearing out bureaucratic waste and inefficiency in these departments. It’s about making sure these agencies work for the American people, not their own interests. So, I don’t think anyone should be surprised by how fast President Trump is moving or by his unconventional nominees. This is exactly what he campaigned on: shaking things up.

Brian Kilmeade: The key is to move the nomination process forward but do it quickly. You pointed out that in 2009, President Obama set a speed record for confirmations. Can we do the same?

Senator Cotton: Absolutely, Brian. Expect us to move promptly. The new Senate will be sworn in on January 3rd—17 days before Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20th. We can have committee hearings on these nominees even before the president is formally inaugurated. That means, on January 20th, as soon as the president delivers his inaugural address, he can walk into the Capitol and sign the papers to submit these nominations. From there, the committees can immediately vote and move them to the floor. In 2009, the Senate confirmed nine of Barack Obama’s cabinet nominees in the first 48 hours. In 2017, the Democrats refused to do that, but I think that should be the baseline this time. There won’t be the leisurely pace we’ve sometimes seen in the past. I expect we’ll be in session and working around the clock to get these nominations through so that President Trump’s team is in place promptly.

Brian Kilmeade: You’re also on the Armed Services and Intelligence Committees. I’m sure you’ve heard that Israel seems to have destroyed Iran's active nuclear weapons research facility with their most recent strike. It looks like they also wiped-out Iran’s missile defense system. Iran is now threatening to strike Israel. The president-elect will need to deal with this situation when he takes office. What would your recommendation be, given the unique opportunity to potentially take out Iran’s weapons program for good?

Senator Cotton: First, I would say that Israel faces a serious threat in the next 10 weeks, and I would urge President Biden to stand by Israel and ensure they are well-defended. We need to back Israel fully. But I know that President Trump will do that from day one. He will back Israel to the hilt. Iran is the key threat in the Middle East, not only to Israel but to the United States as well. They back terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah. Right now, Iran is more exposed than it has been for decades. Hamas has been largely destroyed, and Hezbollah’s missile and rocket forces in Lebanon have been severely degraded. That was the main deterrent Iran used against Israel. Now, Israel and Iran have exchanged missile strikes twice, with Israel’s being much more effective. As you mentioned, Israel has destroyed much of Iran’s air defense systems. So, the key is to continue supporting Israel completely. President Trump has been very clear, and so has Prime Minister Netanyahu: Iran cannot be allowed to have a nuclear weapon, or even be on the verge of having one.

Brian Kilmeade: And just to underscore that point, when we look at the map of the Middle East, almost every nation in the region agrees with what you’re saying. They see Iran as the problem, and no one wants them to have nuclear weapons.

Senator Cotton: Exactly. That’s exactly right. Thank you, Brian.

Brian Kilmeade: Senator, thank you so much for your time. Congratulations on all the changes ahead. I look forward to speaking with you again soon.

Senator Cotton: Thank you, Brian.