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As Trump’s Coach, Senator Cotton Provides Policy to Match Rhetoric As Trump’s Coach, Senator Cotton Provides Policy to Match Rhetoric
(about 13 hours later)
WASHINGTON — To be a Senate Republican in President Trump’s Washington is to moonlight as a sort of executive life coach, coaxing the commander in chief toward discipline and conservative policy in the face of 140-character headwinds.WASHINGTON — To be a Senate Republican in President Trump’s Washington is to moonlight as a sort of executive life coach, coaxing the commander in chief toward discipline and conservative policy in the face of 140-character headwinds.
And perhaps no lawmaker is more committed to this difficult work than the chamber’s youngest member: Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a gangly, 40-year-old Iraq war veteran with two Harvard degrees, abundant ambition and, it often seems, a more coherent vision than the president for how to assemble policy scaffolding around loosely defined “Trumpism.”And perhaps no lawmaker is more committed to this difficult work than the chamber’s youngest member: Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a gangly, 40-year-old Iraq war veteran with two Harvard degrees, abundant ambition and, it often seems, a more coherent vision than the president for how to assemble policy scaffolding around loosely defined “Trumpism.”
“It’s not a matter of the president changing,” Mr. Cotton said of recent White House stumbles, offering more hopeful spin in an interview than some fellow Republicans these days. “It’s a matter of the president being his best self.”“It’s not a matter of the president changing,” Mr. Cotton said of recent White House stumbles, offering more hopeful spin in an interview than some fellow Republicans these days. “It’s a matter of the president being his best self.”
For months now, as much as any high-profile lawmaker navigating the Trump era, Mr. Cotton has strained to guide Mr. Trump toward his best self.For months now, as much as any high-profile lawmaker navigating the Trump era, Mr. Cotton has strained to guide Mr. Trump toward his best self.
He has worked quietly with the White House to apply a conservative policy structure to the unorthodox brand of Republicanism that elevated Mr. Trump to power, urging fellow senators to be mindful of the anti-free-trade, anti-open-immigration energy that will color the lawmakers’ own elections.He has worked quietly with the White House to apply a conservative policy structure to the unorthodox brand of Republicanism that elevated Mr. Trump to power, urging fellow senators to be mindful of the anti-free-trade, anti-open-immigration energy that will color the lawmakers’ own elections.
He has been a critical back-channel resource on personnel decisions for the administration, recommending Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster as national security adviser.He has been a critical back-channel resource on personnel decisions for the administration, recommending Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster as national security adviser.
He has publicly defended Mr. Trump against all manner of misadventures, earning cascading boos at a town hall meeting back home after parroting the president’s rationale for not releasing his tax returns. (“As far as I’m aware, the president says he’s still under audit,” Mr. Cotton offered, a bit meekly.)He has publicly defended Mr. Trump against all manner of misadventures, earning cascading boos at a town hall meeting back home after parroting the president’s rationale for not releasing his tax returns. (“As far as I’m aware, the president says he’s still under audit,” Mr. Cotton offered, a bit meekly.)
But of late, even Mr. Cotton has struggled to defend all of Mr. Trump’s conduct. And he has been compelled to remind the president of the agenda he won on.But of late, even Mr. Cotton has struggled to defend all of Mr. Trump’s conduct. And he has been compelled to remind the president of the agenda he won on.
“We’ve certainly seen a number of unhelpful distractions over the last few weeks,” Mr. Cotton said.“We’ve certainly seen a number of unhelpful distractions over the last few weeks,” Mr. Cotton said.
Mr. Cotton dined privately with Mr. Trump on Tuesday night among a small group of senators the president is engaging to restart a stalled legislative agenda, and the senator said he has shared his thoughts privately with the president.Mr. Cotton dined privately with Mr. Trump on Tuesday night among a small group of senators the president is engaging to restart a stalled legislative agenda, and the senator said he has shared his thoughts privately with the president.
But Mr. Cotton serves another important function as a bellwether for perhaps the president’s most important focus group: the Republican majority in the Senate, consisting largely of members who still publicly support him but are growing increasingly impatient with the delays and distractions in passing an agenda.But Mr. Cotton serves another important function as a bellwether for perhaps the president’s most important focus group: the Republican majority in the Senate, consisting largely of members who still publicly support him but are growing increasingly impatient with the delays and distractions in passing an agenda.
The political math for them is clear: The longer it takes to show tangible results, the greater the electoral peril.The political math for them is clear: The longer it takes to show tangible results, the greater the electoral peril.
Mr. Cotton was one of the Republicans who grilled the former director of the F.B.I., James B. Comey, during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday. The senator avoided sounding as if he was trying to curry favor with Mr. Trump, asking whether the president’s former national security adviser, Michael T. Flynn, had not been truthful with federal investigators.
Mr. Cotton has had more impact than many other Republicans in getting through to the president, including his recommending General McMaster and suggesting that the Trump team take a look at John F. Kelly, who is now the Department of Homeland Security secretary.Mr. Cotton has had more impact than many other Republicans in getting through to the president, including his recommending General McMaster and suggesting that the Trump team take a look at John F. Kelly, who is now the Department of Homeland Security secretary.
The Arkansas senator was not a Trump supporter during the campaign, but he also was not an opponent — a significant distinction in an administration in which an errant tweet or a bit of cable commentary can ice out prospective allies forever. They spoke occasionally during the campaign, and Mr. Cotton attended a meeting before the election where prospective Supreme Court nominees were discussed.The Arkansas senator was not a Trump supporter during the campaign, but he also was not an opponent — a significant distinction in an administration in which an errant tweet or a bit of cable commentary can ice out prospective allies forever. They spoke occasionally during the campaign, and Mr. Cotton attended a meeting before the election where prospective Supreme Court nominees were discussed.
Since then, his counsel has been sought more frequently.Since then, his counsel has been sought more frequently.
Mr. Cotton’s foreign policy instincts align more closely with a frequent Trump critic: Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona. But his immigration views, in particular, are in sync with the president’s.Mr. Cotton’s foreign policy instincts align more closely with a frequent Trump critic: Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona. But his immigration views, in particular, are in sync with the president’s.
“The president and I tend to agree on some issues that are not what you’d call Republican orthodoxy,” Mr. Cotton said of their shared impulses. He mentioned an immigration-restricting bill that he and Senator David Perdue, Republican of Georgia, have sponsored as an example.“The president and I tend to agree on some issues that are not what you’d call Republican orthodoxy,” Mr. Cotton said of their shared impulses. He mentioned an immigration-restricting bill that he and Senator David Perdue, Republican of Georgia, have sponsored as an example.
The two met with the president weeks ago to discuss the effort. The president “wants us to see it expanded,” Mr. Cotton said. “I didn’t do that because of the president’s position on immigration during the campaign.”The two met with the president weeks ago to discuss the effort. The president “wants us to see it expanded,” Mr. Cotton said. “I didn’t do that because of the president’s position on immigration during the campaign.”
“I hope that traditional Republicans reflect on the 2016 election and think about what they got wrong in the preceding four and eight years,” Mr. Cotton said, describing himself and the president as “right about immigration” and adding, “Republican elite consensus in Washington is wrong.”“I hope that traditional Republicans reflect on the 2016 election and think about what they got wrong in the preceding four and eight years,” Mr. Cotton said, describing himself and the president as “right about immigration” and adding, “Republican elite consensus in Washington is wrong.”
Had Mr. Trump not won the presidency, Mr. Cotton was seen as a likely candidate in what would have been a crowded Republican primary field for 2020. A recent 40th birthday party for the senator at a restaurant in a nearby Virginia suburb included not just his family and his law school roommate, but also Elliott Abrams, a Republican foreign policy expert and a veteran of the Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush administrations, and Walter Russell Mead, a prominent academic. Also present were Mr. Kelly, General McMaster and Mike Pompeo, the C.I.A. director, a reflection of Mr. Cotton’s ties to the national security leadership of the Trump administration.Had Mr. Trump not won the presidency, Mr. Cotton was seen as a likely candidate in what would have been a crowded Republican primary field for 2020. A recent 40th birthday party for the senator at a restaurant in a nearby Virginia suburb included not just his family and his law school roommate, but also Elliott Abrams, a Republican foreign policy expert and a veteran of the Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush administrations, and Walter Russell Mead, a prominent academic. Also present were Mr. Kelly, General McMaster and Mike Pompeo, the C.I.A. director, a reflection of Mr. Cotton’s ties to the national security leadership of the Trump administration.
Mr. Abrams said he was immediately taken with Mr. Cotton when he was a House member. “Young, very well-educated Republican veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are in a sense the next generation of party leadership,” he said.Mr. Abrams said he was immediately taken with Mr. Cotton when he was a House member. “Young, very well-educated Republican veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan are in a sense the next generation of party leadership,” he said.
The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, said Mr. Cotton has “an unmistakable drive as well as a raw talent and invaluable national security experience he earned from serving in uniform.”The Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky, said Mr. Cotton has “an unmistakable drive as well as a raw talent and invaluable national security experience he earned from serving in uniform.”
Now his profile is rising, in part because he is seen as a lawmaker who is more attuned to the shifts in the party — and the appeal of Mr. Trump to many Republican voters — than most in Washington because he had run for the House and then the Senate in rapid succession, Mr. Abrams noted.Now his profile is rising, in part because he is seen as a lawmaker who is more attuned to the shifts in the party — and the appeal of Mr. Trump to many Republican voters — than most in Washington because he had run for the House and then the Senate in rapid succession, Mr. Abrams noted.
Their styles are decidedly different, and the senator’s patience for Mr. Trump’s bluntness may be tested in the coming weeks. Far more reserved and soft-spoken than the president, Mr. Cotton said he generally appreciated Mr. Trump’s candor.Their styles are decidedly different, and the senator’s patience for Mr. Trump’s bluntness may be tested in the coming weeks. Far more reserved and soft-spoken than the president, Mr. Cotton said he generally appreciated Mr. Trump’s candor.
“What you see is what you get with the president,” Mr. Cotton said. “I think that’s a good measure of a man. Not just someone in politics. You don’t get much different in private than in you do public.”“What you see is what you get with the president,” Mr. Cotton said. “I think that’s a good measure of a man. Not just someone in politics. You don’t get much different in private than in you do public.”
And he said that the president has shown encouraging signs of discipline, citing his recent foreign trip.And he said that the president has shown encouraging signs of discipline, citing his recent foreign trip.
“I would encourage him to bring this discipline and focus to the job every day,” Mr. Cotton said.“I would encourage him to bring this discipline and focus to the job every day,” Mr. Cotton said.