GOP Sen. Tom Cotton says he will accept the 2024 election results

Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Sunday he will accept the 2024 election results and vote to certify the results in 2025, just as he did in 2020.

“I don’t think Congress has the constitutional authority to reject electors who have been authorized by a state,” Cotton said on NBC News’ “Meet the Press.”

He added: “I will accept the election results and certify that they are fair and free elections.”

Cotton is rumored to be on the short list as a potential vice presidential pick for former President Donald Trump.

Asked if he would accept an invitation to serve as Trump’s running mate, Cotton said he had not spoken to Trump or his campaign about it, but added: “Any great patriot, if given the chance to to serve our country by the president, he should seriously consider it.”

In recent weeks, other Republican senators rumored to be on the short list, including Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Tim Scott of South Carolina, declined to say on “Meet the Press” whether they would accept the results this year. Scott later said he would “definitely” vote to certify the election.

Cotton defended his decision to break with others in his party, including the former president, when he voted to certify the 2020 election for President Joe Biden.

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“(Trump and I) had a disagreement about what can happen that day,” Cotton told moderator Peter Alexander. “I don’t think Congress has the constitutional authority to override voters, and as a practical matter, it was never going to happen.”

Asked if he would support Trump’s goal of pardoning those who have been charged with various crimes as a result of their action at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, Cotton said Trump “would have to evaluate each case on its merits, which he did when he was president the first time.”

Cotton added that those charged with “silly offenses of walking on public land without a permit, who did not assault a law enforcement officer, who did not damage public property, their pardon should be considered and in many cases would should be granted”.

His comments follow Trump’s promises and his campaign to pardon those he says were “unjustly imprisoned” for their actions on January 6, 2021.