Click here to view Senator Cotton’s interview.
In case you missed it — Senator Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) joined Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday” to discuss ISIS’s recent terrorist attack in Moscow, the Biden administration’s failed border policies, government funding legislation, and the possibility of a vote to force a sell of TikTok.
In part, Senator Cotton said:
On ISIS’s attack in Moscow: “This is the unfortunate echo of President Biden's chaotic and disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the same group that killed 13 Americans. Just a few days ago, at the Armed Services Committee, I asked our commanding general in the Middle East about ISIS's capacity to project attacks from Afghanistan. He said that in as little as six months—and turned out to be closer to six days—that ISIS from Afghanistan with little or no warning could attack Western interests across Asia and Europe. And that's exactly what we've seen happen.”
On the crisis at the border: “The only, the only, person responsible for the chaos at our borders is Joe Biden. In 2020, he said that he would reverse all President Trump's highly effective policies. That sent a signal to everyone around the world, that if you got to our border, you could get in and that's exactly what he did on day one. And we had more illegal crossings in 2021 than we had had in any previous year. And again in '22. And again in '23. That has nothing to do with a bill that Congress may or may not pass in the spring of 2024.”
Senator Cotton’s full interview may be found here and below.
Shannon Bream: Joining us now, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton Senator, welcome back to Fox News Sunday.
Senator Cotton: Thank you, Shannon. It's good to be on with you.
Shannon Bream: We have a lot to unpack there based on just the top of the show here. But let me start with Russia. The New York Times reminds us who ISIS-K is, saying the group "got a dramatic second wind soon after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government in '21. And reminds us during the US military withdrawal from the company, that's the group that carried out the suicide bombing at the International Airport in Kabul that killed 13 U.S. troops and as many as 170 civilians." They've continued attacks around the globe. You've served in uniform in Afghanistan, how worried are you about conditions there on the ground, that ISIS-K has been able to rebound to this strength?
Senator Cotton: Well, I'm quite worried Shannon, as you saw what ISIS from Afghanistan was able to do in Moscow a couple of days ago. This is the unfortunate echo of President Biden's chaotic and disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, the same group that killed 13 Americans. Just a few days ago, at the Armed Services Committee, I asked our commanding general in the Middle East about ISIS's capacity to project attacks from Afghanistan. He said that in as little as six months—and turned out to be closer to six days—that ISIS from Afghanistan with little or no warning could attack Western interests across Asia and Europe. And that's exactly what we've seen happen. It's deeply regrettable that innocent civilians, women and children were killed in Moscow, but the next attacks can be against an American Embassy in Asia or in Europe or against, say, students traveling to Europe on a school trip for spring break. Again, this is a very dangerous echo of President Biden's failed withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Shannon Bream: So, U.S. intelligence had issued warnings publicly and privately about this group and a potential attack in Russia. You sit on Senate Intelligence, how worried are you about an attack like that on our soil?
Senator Cotton: Well, I am very worried about it. And again, you don't even have to sit on the Intelligence Committee and have classified intelligence, you can just listen to what the commanding general of Air Force in the Middle East said: that in as little as six months, you could have an attack like this. And again, it turned out to be six days, he said it might be a little bit longer to project that kind of attack against the American homeland or the Western Hemisphere. But again, we have millions of Americans who live or travel abroad throughout Europe and Asia, embassies, businesses there. So, I'm deeply worried that ISIS from Afghanistan will end up targeting Americans sooner rather than later. So, what's happened in Moscow obviously is very, very sad for the people there. But we have a duty to protect the American people wherever they are, here in America or around the world. And right now, I worry that they're at grave risk.
Shannon Bream: Well, as a reminder, this is the video that we saw just days ago of what's happening at our U.S. southern border. And the fact is we've got new numbers from CBP that came in late in the week, they talked about a record high for a February number, and also, that up to 70 people on an FBI terror watchlist had been arrested this year alone. We don't know if any of those people got deported, none of our reporters can determine that a single one was, but the administration is saying that you guys are the reason this is happening. DHS Secretary America said Saturday on X, Congress has to do more to support our frontline workforce, including passing the bipartisan border security bill. He says it would fix the asylum system give our department needed tools to better enforce the laws of the border fight cartels and stop fentanyl from entering the country. He's pointing the finger at you.
Senator Cotton: Well, Shannon, the only, the only, person responsible for the chaos at our borders is Joe Biden. In 2020, he said that he would reverse all President Trump's highly effective policies. That sent a signal to everyone around the world, that if you got to our border, you could get in and that's exactly what he did on day one. And we had more illegal crossings in 2021 than we had had in any previous year. And again in '22. And again in '23. That has nothing to do with a bill that Congress may or may not pass in the spring of 2024. This chaos at our border, 10 million illegal migrants crossing our entire country's border over the last three plus years is solely the responsibility of Joe Biden.
Shannon Bream: Well, you know, Democrats in the Senate are blaming you guys too. Not surprisingly, there are some tensions. Late Friday, early into Saturday, as you have passed this new round of appropriations bills, a little back and forth with you and Senator Jon Tester, Democrat out of Montan. New York Post has this. They quote him saying Republicans are the ones that killed the best immigration bill we've ever had on the floor of the Senate. Senator Tom Cotton however told reporters the tester was privately telling members he didn't want to vote on amendments, many of those had to do with the border. That's BS, he said, we're censoring that for morning TV. Tester spokesman also call that accusation false. So did you hear him say that, did another senator tell him you said that. Who is telling the truth?
Senator Cotton: He was saying that to senators, privately, whatever he's saying publicly. But again, it's not just Jon Tester. It's people like Sherrod Brown and Bob Casey as well. Very vulnerable Democratic incumbents who are scared to death to vote on anything related to our border because they don't want to offend the open borders ideologues in their own party, but they realize that it's toxic ,or voting against say, making sure men can't play in women's sports or against sanctions relief for Iran. That's why we were voting at 2a.m. in the morning on Saturday morning is because Chuck Schumer in the Senate Democrats are bending themselves into pretzels trying to avoid accountability for Joe Biden's failed policies. But it's coming and it's going to come in November in the form of big Senate victories, when we take back the Senate majority and when Donald Trump is reelected, so they can avoid the votes as much as they want, but in the end, they're gonna be accountable for Joe Biden and Senate Democrats failed policies that has caused chaos in the border, caused the disrespect and danger in the world, caused the prices for everything from gas and groceries and rent to go sky high.
Shannon Bream: There are a lot of Republicans who didn't vote for that spending bill that you did vote for, as it got across the finish line. One of them over in the House. Andrew Clyde is a congressman who said Republicans can't righteously denounce Democrats disastrous policies and then turn around and fund them. Your friend and colleague Senator James Lankford on the Senate side said this, the bill egregiously funds hospitals that perform late term abortions, he says federal taxpayer dollars shouldn't go to those facilities. So why were you a yes vote?
Senator Cotton: Well, Shannon, this is far from a perfect bill. I wish it had been written very differently. I wish it had been written in a different way. But about 70% of the money in the bill goes to our military, it funds very needful priorities, like pay raises for our troops, or investments in our industrial base to build up the weapons and the munitions we might need in a conflict with, say, China over Taiwan. But again, the only person to blame for the way this bill turned out and the way we voted on it is Chuck Schumer. Chuck Schumer, again for a year and a half has refused to bring bills to the floor under an open amendment process, because he wants to protect Democrats like Jon Tester or Sherrod Brown who are out of step with their majorities in the state. The solution to this problem is to elect a Republican majority in November, and Donald Trump, we will then be able to write these bills in a way that reflect the priorities of the American people.
Shannon Bream: Want to get to a couple of other things you're going to have to get through in the Senate. First of all, funding for Israel. There's a giant package, the White House wants it all passed together. There's talk in the House they may split it into separate, different pieces. But we know that Secretary Antony Blinken is in the Middle East. He's coming back now, but he's had this conversation with Bibi Netanyahu saying we don't want you to go on to Rafah and there are all kinds of other problems we have. Here's the secretary.
Secretary Blinken (clip): It risks killing more civilians. It risks wreaking greater havoc with the provision of humanitarian assistance. It risks further isolating Israel around the world and jeopardizing its long term security and standing.
Shannon Bream: So, what about those short and long term impacts potentially what Israel is doing now, hindering the possibility of getting to peace long term and shouldn't allies and friends be able to have these difficult conversations
Senator Cotton: Shannon were fewer than six months past the worst attack on Jews since the Holocaust. We should back Israel to the hilt and their existential war against Hamas. That includes rooting out the Hamas terrorists and leaders who are now hiding in Rafah and Joe Biden and Tony Blinken and Chuck Schumer, rather than blaming Benjamin Netanyahu and putting pressure on him, should be helping the Israeli government put pressure on Hamas. Not only to win this war, but also helped bring back those hostages, some of whom are American hostages. It's very disappointing to see Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer apparently more concerned about placating the growing anti-Semitic faction in their party than helping an ally like Israel win this war
Shannon Bream: But more than a million civilians are sheltered there as well. Many of them have left other parts of Gaza to get there.
Senator Cotton: If you want to protect those civilians, the simple way would be for Hamas to release those hostages and to unconditionally surrender.
Shannon Bream: Okay, very quickly, because we got to go but TikTok, there's finally a bill sitting in the Senate. It seems like it's stalled out at this point.
Senator Cotton: Well, I agree on this rare occasion with Chuck Schumer. Chuck Schumer has said publicly that we should force TikTok to be sold to an American business. That's what this bill would do. It wouldn't ban TikTok. It would force TikTok's Chinese Communist-influenced parent company to divest it. We've done that repeatedly with Chinese companies and other companies through the processes that we use to protect the American people from foreign adversary-owned companies. That's what TikTok is.
Shannon Bream: Does it get to a vote?
Senator Cotton: It should get to a vote. Chuck Schumer, again, has said he wants a bill just like this to happen. So, I think we should bring it up as soon as we're back from this Easter break.
Shannon Bream: All right, Tom Cotton and Chuck Schumer in agreement.
Senator Cotton: Well, at least once.
Shannon Bream: Senator, thank you.
Senator Cotton: Thank you.