Sen. Cotton: US troop build-up to deter Iran and ‘retaliate if provoked’

Striking a hawkish tone, Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas strongly supported President Donald Trump’s buildup of U.S. troops last week in the Middle East.

“The reason why we've deployed additional troops and resources … to the Middle East is not to take action against Iran. It's to deter Iran from taking action against us, and, if necessary, to retaliate if provoked," Sen. Cotton said on Wednesday’s Powerhouse Politics podcast.