Tom Cotton Says Nobody Should Undergo ‘Trial By Newspaper’

Republican Congressman Tom Cotton speaks to members of the Arkansas Farm Bureau at a candidate forum in North Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, April 22, 2014. Cotton is challenging Democrat U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor. Neither f... Republican Congressman Tom Cotton speaks to members of the Arkansas Farm Bureau at a candidate forum in North Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, April 22, 2014. Cotton is challenging Democrat U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor. Neither faces opposition in their respective primaries on May 20. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

As accusations of sexual misconduct put pressure on several prominent officials to leave office or politics, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) argued on Thursday morning that voters should decide whether those facing the allegations are fit to serve in public office.

“We shouldn’t have trial by newspaper,” he told the Associated Press.

When it comes to Alabama GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore, who faces sexual misconduct allegations from several women, Cotton said that Alabama voters “are going to make that decision, just like the people of this country made their decision last year on Donald Trump.”

Though several GOP senators called for Moore to drop out of the race if the allegations against him were true when the claims first surfaced, as Moore has continued to deny the accusations and campaign for the Senate seat, Republicans have slowly softened their stances.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for nemo nemo says:

    Unless they’re Democrats, right Tom?

  2. Sounds like his time in the barrel is coming up soon.

  3. I thought he was talking about Al Franken - silly me. If Roy Moore wins, will some Democrat have the guts to pull a Bannon-like stunt and have all the “Moore teenagers” show up and sit together at a Congressional hearing?

  4. If the republicans were competent and loyal Americans the papers wouldn’t have to do their job for them.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

39 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for davitydave Avatar for stephena Avatar for earlgreyparty Avatar for adabsurdum Avatar for trnc Avatar for squirreltown Avatar for thebigragu Avatar for sickneffintired Avatar for joelopines Avatar for jkrogman Avatar for mike_in_houston Avatar for zosimoff Avatar for ronbyers Avatar for mrf Avatar for darrtown Avatar for established_1781 Avatar for maricaibo Avatar for rickjones Avatar for coprophagoussmile Avatar for a_real_american Avatar for aiddon Avatar for cwilson113 Avatar for snafubar

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: