Tom Cotton Led Charge Against Trump Appointing RFK Jr’s Daughter-In-Law to Top CIA Position: Report
Screenshot via Fox News
President-elect Donald Trump dropped Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s daughter-in-law from consideration to be named deputy director at the CIA. reported the Washington Post on Monday.
Trump is no longer considering Amaryllis Fox Kennedy for the post after top Republicans campaigned against her, including Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), reported the Post.
The Post’s John Hudson and Michael Scherer reported that Cotton directly “lobbied Trump’s chief of staff Susie Wiles and others close to the president-elect to nix the selection, these people said. Like others, they spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive personnel matter.” The report added:
Cotton, a staunch supporter of subversive espionage operations abroad who in the past has advocated the overthrow of Iran’s government, is one of the most hawkish voices on foreign policy in Congress and is expected to chair the Senate Intelligence Committee next year.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had promoted his daughter-in-law for the position and the Post argued that “the candidacy of Fox Kennedy, who secured separate interviews with both Trump and his pick for CIA director, John Ratcliffe, reflected Kennedy’s ability to elevate candidates for government positions outside of his portfolio as nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.”
Fox Kennedy had previously served in the CIA as an undercover operative, but had raised concern among hawkish Republicans over some of her past statements. The Post reported that while Fox Kennedy was not seen as being as extreme as RFK Jr., Cotton and others were “concerned about getting Bobby Kennedy’s proxy in the building,” according to a source.
The Post concluded, “A person close to Cotton said the senator’s concerns pertained to comments Fox Kennedy made years ago to Al Jazeera noting the importance of understanding America’s adversaries. “The only real way to disarm your enemy is to listen to them,” Fox Kennedy told the news network. Cotton likened such remarks as sympathizing with terrorists, this person said.”
Read the full report here.
