GOP Senator Mocked For Saying Bob Menendez Should NOT Resign
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Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) this week mounted an unexpected defense of Sen. Bob Menendez, the New Jersey Democrat recently indicted on extensive bribery charges.
Menendez faces allegations that he accepted various bribes, including $480,000 in cash and $100,000 in gold bars, in return for improperly using his influence to benefit and enrich several New Jersey businessmen.
Although many of Menendez’s Democratic colleagues have suggested he resign, no Republican senators have called on him to step down, according to Business Insider.
In fact, on Tuesday, Cotton implored Menendez to remain in office.
In two posts on X, formerly known as Twitter, Cotton said that while the charges against Menendez “are serious and troubling,” he feels Menendez “should be judged by jurors and New Jersey’s voters, not by Democratic politicians who now view him as inconvenient to their hold on power.”
The charges against Senator Menendez are serious and troubling. At the same time, the Department of Justice has a troubling record of failure and corruption in cases against public figures, from Ted Stevens to Bob McDonnell to Donald Trump to Bob Menendez the last time around.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) September 26, 2023
Senator Menendez has a right to test the government’s evidence in court, just like any other citizen. He should be judged by jurors and New Jersey’s voters, not by Democratic politicians who now view him as inconvenient to their hold on power.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) September 26, 2023
On one hand, it might appear as if Cotton is reminding his followers that Menendez, like all Americans, is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
But many people had other interpretations of Cotton’s posts (which may or may not have been ghostwritten).
R’s want D’s tied to corruption/political crime as much as possible, so they can pretend there’s little difference on that front for 2024. But D’s uniformly calling on Menendez to resign—and R’s coming out *to support him*—shows the stark difference. https://t.co/J9RnpFyAY8
— Robert J. DeNault (@robertjdenault) September 26, 2023
Tom Cotton takes bold stance in favor of elite corruption. https://t.co/9CzXhp2Oc0
— Krystal Ball (@krystalball) September 26, 2023
That Republicans so consistently defend and apologize for corrupt Republicans is unfortunate but perhaps comprehensible, that they then go to bat for corrupt Democrats to avoid admitting that their adversaries believe in good government is just sick. https://t.co/RfkRamo6Gx
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) September 26, 2023
Democrats want an allegedly crooked Democratic senator to resign. Republicans don’t want him to resign because they’re the party of crooks. https://t.co/ySTQovIH5h
— Mark Jacob (@MarkJacob16) September 26, 2023
Republicans usually: Democrats are all criminals whose corruption is causing America’s decline on behalf of nefarious foreign influences, throw them all out of office!
Republicans when a Democrat is charged with accepting literal gold bars as bribes from a foreign government: https://t.co/g2T4aI0Zlr— the theis must flow (@frenchdipset) September 26, 2023
13 Senators calling for Bob Menendez to resign:
John Fetterman
Sherrod Brown
Peter Welch
Tammy Baldwin
Jon Tester
Bob Casey
Elizabeth Warren
Jacky Rosen
Martin Heinrich
Cory Booker
Mark Kelly
Michael Bennet
Amy Klobuchar
No Republicans. Tom Cotton actually *defending* Menendez: https://t.co/OT3F9f8uWv— Prem (@prem_thakker) September 26, 2023
You just want him to hang in because he makes the Dems look bad, and because he is a distraction from the rampant corruption and general insanity in your own ranks. Be honest.
— Russ Baker (@RealRussBaker) September 26, 2023
Behold! It is @SenTomCotton - a man without one shred of a remaining wisp of ethics https://t.co/6C549I2owj
— Keith Olbermann⌚️ (@KeithOlbermann) September 26, 2023
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) also defended Menendez’s “presumption of innocence,” saying “I don’t think he should resign” and lamenting that “the media has to stop acting like everybody is guilty before they’re even judged by a jury.”
Again, the person speaking here is George Santos.