Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., told Fox News on Thursday that “no definitive intelligence” was presented to President Donald Trump about Russian bounties on U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
"So, I have no doubt that Russia is up to no good in Afghanistan — just as they have been in Iraq and Syria and Iran and all around the world. And, I’m always open to taking a tougher line on Russia. But, the [allegations] in The New York Times are simply false — as they usually are," Cotton said.
He added that “what's regrettable is that someone in the intelligence community, or perhaps in a partner nation’s intelligence community, decided to leak partial and incomplete intelligence. Intelligence services often get that kind of partial incomplete or conflicting evidence. They don't always run to the president or the prime minister to share it with them until it's verified and corroborated [and] until they understand the fuller picture."
Cotton continued, "I mean, just look at, though, what the Democrats have done to politicize this matter. President Trump authorized the killing of Qasem Soleimani – Iran’s terrorist mastermind earlier this year – who, there is no question, was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans. Were the Democrats out supporting that? No. They were saying that he was going to start a war, which plainly didn't happen."
"They’re simply using another fake story from The New York Times for political gain," he concluded.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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