Tom Cotton: Anarchy, riots have nothing to do with Floyd death, 'it ends tonight'
Senator Tom Cotton commends Trump for treating ANTIFA like a terror organization and calls for the riots and looting to end immediately
Sen. Tom Cotton on Monday “commended” President Trump for designating Antifa as a terrorist organization because the commander in chief and the Department of Justice have the tools at their disposal to end the rioting.
“From the Insurrection Act to the Explosives Act to the Riot Act, they can be used to stop this anarchy,” the Republican Arkansas lawmaker told “Fox & Friends.”
Cotton called George Floyd’s death “deeply disturbing.”
“I welcome the quick action by local authorities and the Department of Justice to investigate to get the facts and to do justice for George Floyd in accordance with the law and we always respect the rights of peaceful protesters,” Cotton said.
President Trump announced Sunday that the U.S. government will designate the far-left group Antifa as a terrorist organization.
This comes as Trump has blamed Antifa for riots taking place across the country in response to the death of George Floyd, the unarmed black man who died May 25 while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minn.
A resolution to designate Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization was introduced in the Senate in 2019, stating that Antifa "represents opposition to the democratic ideals of peaceful assembly and free speech for all[.]"
Cotton said that there is “zero tolerance for anarchy, rioting and looting” and it needs to “end tonight.” Cotton said that such behavior has nothing to do with the death of Floyd.
Cotton explained that monuments in Washington, D.C., including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial were “defaced.”
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“What the president can do is say that justice will be done in accordance with the law for George Floyd,” Cotton said.
“If local law enforcement is overwhelmed, if local politicians will not do their most basic job to protect our citizens, let’s see how these anarchists respond to the 101st Airborne that is on the other side of the street.”
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