Tom Cotton sparks a Twitter firestorm after blaming Dem lawmakers for Trump's crime bill

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) found himself at the center of controversy after he leveled an attack at Democratic lawmakers over a bill designed to support criminal justice reform that would ultimately downsize prison populations across the United States.

However, there was one critical detail about the bill that he conveniently left out: that bill, known as the First Step Act, was actually signed back in 2018 by former President Donald Trump. During a speech on the Senate floor, Cotton accused Democratic lawmakers of being largely responsible for the passing of the bill.

“It’s your party who voted in lockstep for the First Step Act, that let thousands of violent felons on the street who have now committed innumerable violent crimes,” Cotton said.

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) quickly corrected the Republican lawmaker for his false claims. “The First Step Act, the Republicans were in the majority,” Durbin said.

It also didn't take long for Twitter users to chime in and point out the problem with Cotton's remarks. Twitter users quickly reminded the lawmaker of who really signed the bill as they slammed him for attempting to place blame where it does not belong.

"No [Tom Cotton] you were wrong again," one Twitter user said. "You can spin and dance but once again you stepped on your crank like a buffoon. Do you take a rake to work that you can step on everyday to smack yourself in the face with...because damn...you manage to make a fool of yourself almost daily."

The First Step Act, which is designed to create release opportunities for low-risk offenders, passed with an 87-12 vote. Cotton ultimately went on to admit the bill wasn't just supported by Democratic lawmakers. He even went on to scrutinize members of his political party for supporting the initiative.

“Yes, it’s true that President Trump signed the First Step Act,” Cotton admitted. “It was the worst mistake of the Trump administration. Yes, it’s true that a number of Republican senators voted for it ― they were wrong.”