Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) reportedly rose to former President Donald Trump’s vice president shortlist.
According to several reports released this week, Cotton has captured the interest of Trump as he narrows his VP list down ahead of the 2024 election.
The New York Times claimed that Cotton has “unexpectedly emerged as a top contender” on Trump’s list. The former president has praised the senator as “a reliable and effective communicator in cable news interviews.”
“The two men fostered a close relationship during their time in Washington. They worked closely on immigration issues and shared an affinity for the conservative populism fueling the Republican Party,” the NYT report read. “Cotton’s presence on a presidential ticket could help reassure Republicans in the party’s dwindling traditional wing, particularly fellow foreign-policy hawks. Many of these Republicans remain undecided about a second term for Mr. Trump and might be put off by the selection of an inexperienced MAGA loyalist.”
During an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Cotton was asked whether he would accept a potential invitation to be Trump’s running mate.
“Any great patriot, if offered a chance to serve our country by the president, would have to consider it seriously,” Cotton said, adding that he and Trump have not spoken about the possibility.
Throughout his time in Washington, Cotton has made all the right enemies that could make him an appealing candidate for Trump. In 2020, Cotton led the charge in raising awareness at the start of the coronavirus pandemic about a Chinese laboratory in Wuhan that had been conducting experiments on bats and that it was the likely source of the pandemic. Months later, as far-left extremists burned down cities and rioted across the U.S. following the death of George Floyd, Cotton penned a piece in The New York Times urging Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy the military to stop the billions of dollars in damage that the Black Lives Matter and Antifa extremists caused and the thousands of law enforcement officers whom they attacked. Via the Daily Wire.
Other potential running mates that Trump is reportedly considering include Republicans Sen. J.D. Vance (OH), Gov. Doug Burgum (ND), Sen. Marco Rubio (FL), Sen. Tim Scott (S.C.), Rep. Elise Stefanik (N.Y.), and Rep. Byron Donalds (FL).