Cotton stays silent on McCain attacks

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s ongoing attacks on the late U.S. Sen. John McCain drew criticism last week from U.S. Sen. John Boozman, but no response from U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton.

In a written statement, Boozman, a Republican from Rogers, lauded the former prisoner of war and longtime lawmaker from Arizona.

“Senator McCain was a true American hero who served with honor both in uniform and in the U.S. Senate. His sacrifices and accomplishments cannot be diminished. His voice, leadership and passion for serving his nation are greatly missed in the U.S. Senate and will continue to be in the future,” Boozman said. “I certainly

don’t think it is helpful for the President to continue to focus on this while there are important issues we have to address.”

Through a spokesman, Cotton, who served with McCain on the Senate Armed Services Committee, declined to comment on Trump’s latest condemnations.

The New York Times reported Thursday that most Republican senators have opted not to publicly comment on Trump’s latest denunciations.

While in Congress, McCain worked to help elect Republicans with military experience, including Cotton and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, another Armed Services Committee member.

Last week, Ernst called McCain “a dear friend” and said Trump “needs to stop” attacking him, according to numerous media accounts.