Tom Cotton is likely to succeed Marco Rubio for the top spot on the Intelligence Committee
Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton is expected to become the next chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence after President-elect Donald Trump nominated Vice Chairman Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in the role of secretary of state in his new administration. .
The Arkansas Republican and outspoken critic of China and Iran is behind Rubio’s leadership of the committee, a source familiar with the matter confirmed to Fox News Digital.
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Sen. Tom Cotton is running for chairman of the Senate GOP Conference. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
However, the final decision on committee leadership will be made by the Republican leader.
Cotton’s office declined to comment to Fox News Digital.
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Sen. Marco Rubio is expected to be nominated for secretary of state. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
A familiar source told Fox News Digital Monday night that Rubio will be tapped by Trump for the coveted State Department role. However, they realized that the elected president could change his mind and go in another direction.
The current chairman of Intel is Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., is expected to be the vice chairman of the new Congress when the Republicans have a majority.
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Sen. Mark Warner is the chairman of the Intelligence Committee. (Reuters)
Cotton withdrew his name from cabinet consideration last week, as Axios first reported.
The senator, who many had seen as a front-runner for a top cabinet post in the next Trump administration, told Trump’s transition team and other lawmakers that he had asked for his name to be withdrawn, a source close to the Arkansas Republican told Fox. News.
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Sen. Tom Cotton is a supporter of President-elect Donald Trump. (Zach Gibson/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Cotton is currently running for the 3rd Republican leadership position, which he feels “confident” in closing.
The source said Trump understands Cotton’s decision and knows he’s “with him all the way in the Senate.”
