Major Controversies Surrounding Tom Cotton: A Detailed Timeline

Public opinion and media debates around Tom Cotton—discover key moments of controversy.

Tom Cotton is an American politician and Army veteran currently serving as the junior United States Senator from Arkansas since 2015. A Republican, he holds the position of Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference and is the third-ranking Senate Republican. He also leads the Senate Intelligence Committee, demonstrating his influence and involvement in national security matters.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1998: Clinton's Actions During Bombing of Iraq

In 1998, President Clinton took action during the Bombing of Iraq.

1998: Wrote Article in The Harvard Crimson

In 1998, Tom Cotton wrote an article in "The Harvard Crimson" in which he questioned the internet's value as a teaching tool in the classroom. This article was later criticized in September 2011.

June 2006: Open Letter to The New York Times

In June 2006, while stationed in Iraq, Tom Cotton wrote an open letter to the editor of "The New York Times", accusing three journalists of violating "espionage laws" by publishing an article about a classified government program. The letter was published on Power Line, a conservative blog.

September 2011: Criticism for 1998 Article

In September 2011, Arkansas Times editor Max Brantley criticized Tom Cotton for a 1998 article he wrote in "The Harvard Crimson" questioning the internet's value as a teaching tool.

2011: False Claims in Campaign Ads

From 2011, Tom Cotton falsely claimed in campaign ads and videos that he had served in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned a Bronze Star as a U.S. Army Ranger, even though he did not serve in the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment. Salon reported this in 2021.

2011: Rosen's Argument on Espionage Act

In 2011, Jay Rosen, a professor of journalism at New York University, argued that accusing investigative journalists of engaging in espionage is an extreme culture war tactic, in response to Cotton's open letter to The New York Times.

2013: Introduction and Withdrawal of Legislative Language on Iran Sanctions

In 2013, Tom Cotton introduced legislative language to prohibit trade with relatives of individuals subject to U.S. sanctions against Iran, but he withdrew it after criticism regarding its constitutionality.

2013: Reference to Durbin Misquotation

In January 2018, regarding alleged comments made by President Trump, Slate magazine asserted that Tom Cotton was referring to a misquotation Dick Durbin made of a 2013 gathering at the Obama White House at which Durbin was not present.

2014: Continued False Claims in Campaign Ads

Until 2014, Tom Cotton falsely claimed in campaign ads and videos that he had served in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned a Bronze Star as a U.S. Army Ranger, even though he did not serve in the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment. Salon reported this in 2021.

February 5, 2015: Called for housing more prisoners at Guantanamo Bay

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on February 5, 2015, Tom Cotton advocated for housing more prisoners at Guantanamo Bay instead of closing the facility.

February 2015: Blocking of Cassandra Butts's Nomination

In February 2015, Tom Cotton blocked the nomination of Cassandra Butts, nominated to be the United States ambassador to the Bahamas, along with ambassador nominees to Sweden and Norway, over a Secret Service leak, though the leak was unrelated to the nominees. He later released his holds on the Sweden and Norway nominees but maintained the hold on Butts.

March 2015: Letter to Iranian Leaders

In March 2015, Tom Cotton wrote and sent a letter to the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran, signed by 47 of the Senate's 54 Republicans, that cast doubt on the Obama administration's authority to engage in nuclear-proliferation negotiations with Iran. This action led to questions about a potential violation of the Logan Act.

July 21, 2015: Claimed Secret Side Agreements

On July 21, 2015, Tom Cotton and Mike Pompeo claimed to have uncovered the existence of secret side agreements between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on procedures for inspection and verification of Iran's nuclear activities under the JCPOA.

March 2016: Refusal to Consider Obama's Supreme Court Nominee

In March 2016, Tom Cotton refused to consider Obama's Supreme Court nominee during a presidential election year, arguing that voters should have a chance to weigh in on the makeup of the Supreme Court.

2016: Views on Incarceration Rates

In 2016, Tom Cotton rejected the idea that there is over-incarceration in the United States, arguing that law enforcement is only able to identify perpetrators for a minority of crimes and that reduced sentencing would destabilize the country.

2016: Views on Waterboarding and Torture

In 2016, shortly after the presidential election, Tom Cotton denied that waterboarding is a form of torture in a CNN interview. He suggested that allowing it was a "tough call" then-candidate Trump was ready to make.

July 2017: Co-sponsorship of Israel Anti-Boycott Act

In July 2017, Tom Cotton co-sponsored the bipartisan Israel Anti-Boycott Act (S.270), which amended federal law to prohibit support to foreign governments or organizations boycotting Israel, generating controversy over potential restrictions on private citizens' activities.

2017: Response to the Las Vegas Shooting

In 2017, in response to the Las Vegas shooting, Tom Cotton initially stated that he did not believe any new gun control legislation would have prevented the shooting. After it was established that semi-automatic rifles with a bump stock attachment were used, he said he was "willing to entertain" regulation of bump stocks.

January 11, 2018: Alleged Comments by Trump at Meeting

On January 11, 2018, Tom Cotton was present at a meeting where Trump allegedly called Haiti and African nations "shithole countries." Cotton and Senator David Perdue issued a joint statement saying they did not recall Trump saying those comments specifically.

January 2018: Protests at Washington Office

In January 2018, five demonstrators were arrested for obstructing Tom Cotton's Washington office while protesting his position on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. They were later released after paying a fine.

November 2018: Opposition to Criminal Justice Reform Bill

In November 2018, Tom Cotton argued against a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill (FIRST STEP Act), incorrectly claiming that there had been no hearings on the bill. He also asserted that convicts of certain sex-related crimes could accrue credits making them eligible for supervised release.

April 2019: Calling Southern Poverty Law Center a "political hate group"

In April 2019, Tom Cotton called the Southern Poverty Law Center a "political hate group" and asked the IRS to check whether it should retain its tax-exempt status.

February 16, 2020: Suggested the coronavirus may have started at the biosafety level 4 super laboratory in Wuhan, China

In a February 16, 2020, Fox News interview, Tom Cotton suggested the coronavirus may have originated at the biosafety level 4 super laboratory in Wuhan, China, prompting responses from scientists and media outlets.

April 2020: Suggested restrictions on Chinese students studying in the U.S.

In April 2020, Tom Cotton suggested that Chinese students in the United States should be restricted to studying humanities and banned from science-related fields.

April 2020: Accused the Chinese government of a deliberate attack on the world through non-containment of the pandemic

In late April 2020, Tom Cotton stated in a Fox News interview that the non-containment of the pandemic was a "deliberate" and "malevolent" attack by the Chinese government on the rest of the world.

July 2020: Introduction of Saving American History Act

In July 2020, Tom Cotton introduced the Saving American History Act of 2020, proposed legislation preventing the use of federal tax dollars for the teaching of The 1619 Project. He also described slavery as a "necessary evil" upon which the union was built.

February 2021: Criticism of Biden's Immigration Policies at CPAC

In February 2021, Tom Cotton criticized the Democrats' and Joe Biden's immigration policies at CPAC. He claimed that the Biden administration had halted deportations for all illegal aliens, including criminals, a claim PolitiFact rated as "False".

2021: Salon Reports False Claims

In 2021, Salon reported that Tom Cotton falsely claimed in campaign ads and videos from 2011 to 2014 that he had served in Iraq and Afghanistan and earned a Bronze Star as a U.S. Army Ranger, even though he did not serve in the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment. Snopes rated Salon's reporting as true.

2022: Blasted the ranked-choice voting system

In 2022, following Mary Peltola's victory in the Alaska's at-large congressional district special election, Tom Cotton criticized the ranked-choice voting system used in Alaska.

October 2023: Condemnation of Hamas and Support for Israel

In October 2023, Tom Cotton condemned Hamas's actions during the Israel–Hamas war, expressed support for Israel's right to self-defense, and denied that Israel was committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip, asserting Israel's right to strike back if Hamas used civilian infrastructure for military purposes.

November 9, 2023: Request for Investigation of Journalists

On November 9, 2023, Tom Cotton asked the Department of Justice to investigate whether journalists working for international news outlets "committed federal crimes by supporting Hamas terrorists".

2023: Response to COVID-19 Lab Leak Assessment

In early 2023, after the United States Department of Energy assessed that a lab leak was to blame for the emergence of COVID-19, Tom Cotton responded by stating that holding the Chinese Communist Party accountable was more important than being proven right.

January 2024: Questioned TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew during a Senate hearing

In January 2024, during a Senate hearing on child safety on social media, Tom Cotton repeatedly questioned TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew about his potential membership in the Chinese Communist Party.

February 28, 2024: Response to Aaron Bushnell's Self-Immolation

On February 28, 2024, Tom Cotton responded to United States airman Aaron Bushnell's self-immolation by sending a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin calling Bushnell's death "an act of horrific violence" that was "in support of a terrorist group [Hamas]" and asking about internal efforts to address extremism in the military.

April 2024: Threats against the International Criminal Court

In April 2024, Tom Cotton threatened to cut U.S. funding to the International Criminal Court (ICC), sanction ICC employees, and bar the employees and their families from entering the U.S. if the ICC issues arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.

November 21, 2024: Response to ICC Arrest Warrants

On November 21, 2024, after the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, Tom Cotton called it a "kangaroo court" and the prosecutor, Karim Khan, a "deranged fanatic," also suggesting that The Hague should be invaded if Netanyahu was arrested.