The Republican Party is the "party of law and order," Sen. Tom Cotton said Monday, and he expects to see law enforcement this week and over the next four months gravitating to the party and to Donald Trump because "we always back the blue."
"We give them the benefit of the doubt," the Arkansas Republican told Fox News'
"America's Newsroom" program. "We wait until facts are collected and investigations are complete to make sure that we are not jumping to conclusions or inflaming racial tension as opposed to bringing us all together and supporting the people that keep us safe."
Trump started calling himself the "law and order" candidate several weeks ago and once again following the Dallas police shootings.
Cotton, when asked if Trump has a "firm understanding" about the challenges overseas concerning terrorism, commented that more needs to be done on that issue.
"Seems like every time there is an attack, [President] Barack Obama announces a new policy, maybe a few more troops, maybe putting troops with lower levels with the Iraqi Army," Cotton said.
"We should do all of that right now. We should get serious about our detention and interrogation programs. We should recognize once again that we can not win the war on terror on defense at home. We have to take the war to them in places like Iraq and Syria and Libya and Afghanistan and eliminate terrorist leaders from the battlefield and deny them safe haven which they can plan attacks like we saw in Nice last week."
It is understandable, he continued, that many Americans feel like the world and nation are in chaos.
"Overseas we'll always stand for strong national defense and make sure terrorists feel they're on the run, that they're not putting America on the run," said Cotton of his party.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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