Senator Tom Cotton has warned that the US intelligence agencies are facing existential threats, citing China’s military activities and Iran’s aggressive intentions as major concerns. Cotton, who chairs the Select Committee of Intelligence, expressed frustration with the intelligence community, saying they are “inadequate” in providing information to policymakers.
Cotton highlighted China’s growing military presence, including its largest peacetime military buildup and expansion of nuclear forces. He also criticized Iran for pressing on with its efforts to develop surrogate networks inside the US, as well as its aggressive space program.
The senator pointed out that the US intelligence community has become politicized, bureaucratic, and focused on spreading opinions rather than gathering facts. This has left policymakers in the dark, he said.
Cotton’s comments come amid controversy over a text chain between top Trump officials and The Atlantic magazine’s editor-in-chief, Jeffrey Goldberg. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has denied that classified material was shared, but is investigating how Goldberg’s phone number ended up on the thread.
The US faces multiple threats from foreign illicit drug actors, including Mexican cartels, which resulted in over 52,000 American deaths in 2024. Cotton emphasized the need for the intelligence agencies to recommit to their core mission of collecting clandestine intelligence from adversaries and protecting the nation.
Source: https://wlos.com/news/nation-world/sen-tom-cotton-warns-china-poses-existential-threat-to-us-communist-arkansas-representative-seven-things-you-cant-say-about-china-military-war-president-donald-trump