Tom Cotton
R · U.S. Senate, Arkansas · Tier 1
Tier 1, “Firmly pro-Israel”
Said in October 2023 that “Israel can bounce the rubble in Gaza”; in 2025 denied the Gaza famine; introduced the Israel Security Assistance Support Act, which forces arms delivery and cancels the salaries of officials who withhold it; voted NO on the Sanders arms resolutions; and led 47 Senate Republicans protesting Biden’s arms hold.
A Tier 1 on many counts, one of the most maximalist pro-Israel figures on the roster. He introduced the Senate Israel Security Assistance Support Act — authored legislation to force delivery of withheld arms and cancel the salaries of any official who withholds them — and led 47 Republicans in a letter protesting the arms hold. His public brand is maximal: “Israel can bounce the rubble in Gaza,” he denies the Gaza famine, and has cast campus protests as part of a “diplomatic assault abroad from Hamas’ proxies at the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and even American college campuses.” Authored legislation forcing arms deliveries to Israel, plus a maximalist brand, make a clean 1; his words about Gaza’s civilians blame Hamas, as in a July 2025 Senate speech that denied a starvation campaign and told senators “if you truly care about the children of Gaza, as I do,” to back Trump’s demand that Hamas surrender.
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elect26 places 2026 midterm candidates on a six-tier spectrum, from 1 (most pro-Israel) to 6 (most critical of Israel).