GOP senator: Russia should be labeled state sponsor of terrorism if intelligence is accurate

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who is in a tough reelection race, says that if it’s true that Russia’s military intelligence unit offered bounties to Taliban militants to kill U.S. troops then Russia should be considered a state sponsor of terrorism.

“If intelligence reports are verified that Russia or any other country is placing bounties on American troops, then they need to be treated as a state sponsor of terrorism,” Tillis tweeted. 

Tillis’s comment is a sign of growing support among GOP senators for Trump to retaliate in response to an intelligence report that Russia’s intelligence agency, the GRU, offered militants bounties to kill Americans in Afghanistan.

Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), who is also up for reelection in November, on Monday said he’s looking for an “urgent” response from the administration.

“We should be talking about GRU and Taliban agents in body bags,” he said.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), the ranking member on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is pressing Senate Republicans to schedule a vote on legislation placing new sanctions on Russia.

Senators will have access Tuesday to intelligence documents connected to the assessment that Russian agents offered bounties on U.S. troops.