Cotton set to discuss Trump at forum event

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton will speak about the new presidential administration during a University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service forum later this month.

The Republican from Dardanelle will be interviewed by the dean, Skip Rutherford, and the topic will be President Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office.

The hourlong event is scheduled to take place at noon April 19. The location, for the time being, is Sturgis Hall, but that’s likely to change.

“It’s scheduled right now at the Clinton School but … I’m 99.9 percent certain we’ll move it to a larger venue,” Rutherford said.

Large numbers of people have already expressed interest in attending, Rutherford said.

“We can’t handle 300 and it’ll be a lot more than that,” he said.

Rutherford, the first president of the Clinton Foundation and the founder of the Political Animals Club, said he had personally invited Cotton to speak.

“I wanted him to assess the Trump presidency,” he said.

Cotton was met by a boisterous crowd in February when he held a town hall-style meeting in Springdale. He also attracted large audiences earlier this year in Jonesboro and in Heber Springs. In Heber Springs, Cotton

promised he would appear sometime soon and answer questions in Pulaski County.

At the Clinton School event, audience members will be able to submit questions.

“We’ll get to as many as we can,” Rutherford said.

The Clinton School event will not be a town hall-style meeting, however, and the focus will be on 1600 Pennsylvania

Ave., he said.

Cotton has generally been supportive of the new president, meeting with Trump at the White House to discuss immigration legislation. But he’s also challenged the new administration at times, opposing the health care legislation that it tried and failed to pass.

“This is one of the nation’s most influential people and certainly a rising star on the national scene assessing the Trump presidency. I’m real proud we’re having that opportunity,” Rutherford said.

People wishing to reserve seats for the event can do so by emailing public programs@clintonschool.uasys.edu or by calling (501) 683-5239.

Rutherford said he expects it will be a “civil and professional” discourse.

At Clinton School events, “even when people disagree, people have been respectful,” Rutherford said. “That is the standard we set, and that is the standard I expect.”