Poor Senator Tom Cotton. The Q-curious authoritarian from Arkansas usually can't stop bloviating on behalf of his beloved leader Donald Trump, but today when George Stephanopoulos asked Cotton for his opinon on Kandy Korn Kaligula's fulsome praise for the murderous madman Vladimir Putin, the craven senator was at a loss for words.
Stephanopoulos asked Cotton multiple times why he couldn't simply condem Donald Trump regarding his bizarre support of Putin. Each time Cotton, fearful of angering his god-emperor at Mar-A-Lago, gave an impression of a deer caught in headlights before trying to deflect the question with a carefully scripted non-answer.
The video clip is a good example of how the GOP has become a mob of sycophantic poltroons. Here's the transcript:
George Stephanopoulis
Why can't you condemn Donald Trump for those comments?
Tom Cotton
George, if you want to know what Donald Trump thinks about Vladimir Putin or any other topic, I'd encourage you to invite him on your show. I don't speak on behalf of other politicians, they can speak for themselves. I speak on behalf of Arkansans, who I talked to this week and who are appalled at what they saw in Ukraine. And they want me right now to fight in Washington to support those brave Ukrainians.
George Stephanopoulis
You're a senior member of the Republican Party. Donald Trump is the leader of the Republican Party. He said last night again, suggested that he would be running for president. When Fox News asked him if he had a message for Vladimir Putin. He said he has no message. Why can't you condemn that? I feel quite confident that if Barack Obama or Joe Biden said something like that you'd be first in line to criticize them.
Tom Cotton
(Pause) Again, George, if you want to talk to the former President about his views or his message you can have him on your show. My message to Vladimir Putin is quite clear. He needs to leave Ukraine unless he wants to face moms and teenagers with Molotov cocktails and grandmothers and grandfathers with AK 47s for years to come. I'm speaking on behalf of all Arkansans who want me to send that message to him.
George Stephanopoulis
If Donald Trump runs again, can you support him?
Tom Cotton
(Pause) George, I'm not worried about this fall's election right now much less than election two years from now. I'm focused on the naked war of aggression that Vladimir Putin has launched in Ukraine right now. There's not a moment to lose. We can worry about electoral politics down the road.
George Stephanopoulis
Former President Trump was out there talking about it last night. I simply don't understand why you can't condemn his praise of Vladimir Putin.
Tom Cotton
(Pause) George, again, I don't speak on behalf of other politicians, they can all speak for themselves. I'm delivering my message to you, which I said has been clear whether Barack Obama was president whether Donald Trump was president. And now whether Joe Biden was President. That Vladimir Putin has been a ruthless dictator for years. Too many people have not taken the threat seriously.
