Sen. Tom Cotton denies asking staffer to bring him a gun during US Capitol siege

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) questions President Joe Biden's nominee for Secretary of Defense, retired Army Gen. Lloyd Austin at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee at the US Capitol on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images

• Sen. Tom Cotton denies asking an aide to bring him a gun during the Capitol Siege on January 6.
• A spokesperson challenged a CNN report that he'd asked for a firearm.
• Cotton declined to challenge the final result of the 2020 election, breaking with other Republicans.
• Visit the Business section of Insider for more stories.

US Sen. Tom Cotton's office is denying the Arkansas Republican asked one of his staffers to bring him a gun during the January 6 siege on the US Capitol by a pro-Trump mob.

CNN's Jamie Gangel made the claim on-air Wednesday evening, saying Cotton told her he was prepared to shoot rioters.

But a spokesperson for the senator, Caroline Tabler, denied that report.

"Senator Cotton did not have or request a gun that day," Tabler told Insider, "nor does he need one to defend himself and others under any circumstances."

Though a reliable conservative vote in the Senate, Cotton had angered Trump supporters by refusing to join Sens. Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley in challenging the outcome of the 2020 election.

"I will not oppose the counting of certified electoral votes on January 6," he said in a statement issued 72 hours before the insurrection.

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider