Jul 16, 2019 - Politics & Policy

Tom Cotton says he shares Trump's Afghanistan frustration

Marisa Fernandez

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) told Axios' Mike Allen at an Axios event Tuesday that he shares President Trump's frustration with U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan.

What he's saying: Cotton, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, defended Trump's desire to remove U.S. troops from the country despite pushback from the national security sector, saying "advisers advise and presidents decide" whether to follow their advance.

Sen. Cotton also said he was in favor of retaliatory action against Iran, and noted that he often advises Trump often on foreign policy: "I don’t want to see Iran continue up the escalatory ladder to the point where they are attacking a manned U.S. aircraft or U.S. Navy vessel in which case retaliatory action, which the president said will be swift."

Go deeper: Tom Cotton on Trump's racist tweets

Add Axios on Google

Tom Cotton says he shares Trump's Afghanistan frustration

What to read next