CNN Anchor Throws Down With Tom Cotton Over Legality of Trump’s Boat Strikes: ‘When Will You Vote?’

CNN anchor John Berman threw down with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), the head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Friday over whether or not Congress has given President Donald Trump the legal authority to bomb alleged drug smuggling boats off the coast of Venezuela.

The Trump administration has so far killed over 80 people on those boats and ignited a firestorm of criticism over its bombing of survivors in a so-called double-tap strike, which many critics are calling a war crime.

Berman asked Cotton, “Question: If they are terrorists, when did Congress pass the authorized use of force to attack them?”

Cotton replied, “John, the reason why your question is not well-founded is like saying, ‘Would Barack Obama be okay droning an American citizen when he was president?’ Like he did to Anwar al-Awlaki over in the Middle East. These are totally different categories.”

Berman hit back, “That’s why I asked when Congress passed the authorized use of military force. There was an authorized use of military force against terrorists. I’m not saying what he did was legal or not, but that’s what they based it on. In this case, when was the authorized use of military force to attack suspected drug dealers off the coast of Venezuela?”

Cotton replied, “John, the president has inherent authority as the commander-in-chief under the Constitution to protect America using our armed forces against a foreign terrorist organization. Congress has passed laws that allow the president to designate foreign terrorist organizations.”

“That’s what he’s done with these cartels in Venezuela,” Cotton added, “who are deeply intertwined with the illegitimate Maduro regime.”

Berman pressed back, “You know, the latest explanation from the administration is they are non-state actors in this case. That is important for them to designate they are non-state actors here. They are not, for purposes of attacking them off the coast of Venezuela, connected to the Maduro regime. They’re non-state actors there. And Andrew McCarthy and other conservative writers will say that they don’t qualify by the statutory definition of what a terrorist is in U.S. Code.”

Cotton doubled down, adding, “Well, John, I disagree that all of these cartels in Latin America do qualify as foreign terrorists. And frankly, their activities have killed many more Americans than Al-Qaeda or ISIS has killed. And it’s a threat that we should take seriously in our own backyard, just as seriously as we take the threat of Al-Qaeda and ISIS around the world. I think most Americans, especially those Arkansans who have lost loved ones to drugs, would agree that we need to take this threat seriously.”

“Then when will you vote on an authorized use of military force if it’s as big of a threat as foreign terrorists?” Berman insisted.

Cotton replied, “John, I think the president has every legal authority he needs as the commander-in-chief. If my Democratic colleagues disagree, then they’re perfectly entitled to offer an amendment when we start debating the defense spending bill to prohibit him from doing so. Congress has done that throughout our history. But until they get the votes for that, the president has the authority that he needs to protect our country from these drug traffickers.”

Watch the clip above via CNN.

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