Cotton: 'Typhoid Mary' Susan Rice 'Distorting' Facts on Trump, Russia

Sen. Tom Cotton Monday slammed former Obama national security adviser Susan Rice for her comments Sunday that President Donald Trump's reaction to reports that Russia was paying bounties for the deaths of U.S. soldiers shows he defends Russian President Vladimir Putin over the safety and security of U.S. forces. 

"It's not surprising to me that Susan Rice, in an effort to be Joe Biden's vice president, is distorting those facts," the Arkansas Republican told Fox News' "Fox and Friends." "Susan Rice was the 'Typhoid Mary' of the Obama-era foreign policy and Joe Biden and his Secretary of Defense Bob Gates have been wrong about every foreign policy decision of the last 40 years."

Cotton pointed out that the Trump administration and intelligence community have already commented that the intelligence on Russia and the Taliban was not verified, and that is why it was not presented to Trump.

He also pointed out that Trump's actions have been stronger against Russia than former President Barack Obama's were, including when Trump sent Ukraine Javelin anti-tank missiles while Obama sent blankets. 

Meanwhile, it is clear that Trump wants to end the war in Afghanistan but does not want to risk what happened in Iraq and Syria when Obama pulled out in 2011, said Cotton, as the region became a safe haven for ISIS. 

Trump is also being tougher on China, Cotton said, citing the current move to send in two aircraft carriers to the South China Sea. 

"China wants to put a stranglehold on the South China Sea," said Cotton. "Most of our commerce and trade passes through the South China Sea. President Obama and Joe Biden let them militarize the islands … [we are] signaling to China and all of our allies in the region that the United States won't stand idly by while China tries to extend its control over such a vital sea lane of communications for our trade, our commerce, our jobs."