Sen. Cotton Asks Pentagon Why Airman Who Self-Immolated Was Allowed to Serve

Senator said Aaron Bushnell’s actions showed he ‘obviously harbored extreme, anti-American views.’

Sen. Tom Cotton at the U.S. Capitol, on Jan. 19, 2021. Greg Nash/Pool/Getty Images

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) has questioned why the Pentagon allowed an active-duty airman, who set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington on Feb. 25, to serve in the U.S. Air Force.

In a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin dated Feb. 28, Mr. Cotton sought answers from the Department of Defense (DOD) over the incident.