A heated Tom Cotton, Al Jazeera exchange in the Senate halls sparked viral attention after the Arkansas senator dismissed the network’s questioning over Gaza and accused it of sympathizing with terrorists.
The back-and-forth began when an Al Jazeera reporter pressed Cotton on why he supports the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund, citing U.N. claims that over 1,000 people died while receiving aid. Cotton shot back: “You believe the U.N.? Give me a break. They run interference for Palestinian terrorists.”
The reporter then asked if Cotton was disputing “the world’s leading experts” on famine. Cotton responded sharply: “The world’s leading experts on famine are left-wing clowns who are anti-Semites and anti-Zionists.”
Cotton also pressed the journalist on how he gained access to Gaza. “Who’s letting you go in to film in Gaza? That would be Hamas,” he said. When the reporter disclosed he worked for Al Jazeera, Cotton laughed and replied: “That’s what I thought. Beautiful. What do you say about working for a terrorist sympathizing network?”
The senator concluded the exchange with a blunt rebuke: “You’re an embarrassment. You got anything more? I’m happy to keep going.”
The clash underscored long-running concerns about Al Jazeera’s ties to Hamas, including instances where its journalists were linked to terror activity.
