Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), who was previously chastised for a New York Times op-ed advocating a tough stance toward China, responded to a Wall Street Journal story that the Biden administration now recognizes responsibility for the COVID-19 outbreak during an interview on FNC’s “Hannity”
The Arkansas Republican said that, despite accusations of conspiracy theory, it was the left that was involved in a “conspiracy of silence.”
“I think what connects both of these instances, whether it’s my pointing out prior to any of the shutdowns in America ever happened that this virus probably definitely began in a lab in Wuhan, not just some food market there, and saying that we ought to employ whatever law enforcement or military action is required to restore order when riders, as well as looters, are rampaging through our streets are very closely tied,” he added. “The liberal media’s attempts to silence me and others who were making these fundamental points, Democrat politicians such as Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi accusing us of being racist, nativist, or xenophobic, and then MSNBC, CNN, and the rest piling on were all part of a conspiracy of silence among the left in America. And then there are government officials you are familiar with, like Tony Fauci, who are stoking this conspiracy of silence by attempting to muzzle any dissent from the party line.”
Additionally, Cotton said, “I want to remind everyone that both of these arguments were really plain common sense. Anyone may examine the circumstances in Wuhan and conclude that this virus most likely originated from that lab. The majority of Americans agreed with what I said about using the national guard or active military if necessary when local law enforcement was overburdened or prevented from performing their duties once more. However, the left merely wants to quiet all opposition when it doesn’t fit into their ideological beliefs.”
