Story highlights Cotton was submitted as a potential pick by Vice Presidential-elect Mike PenceTrump has not publicly commented on NATO since winning the electionWashington (CNN) A contender for the post of defense secretary in the incoming Donald Trump administration offered a robust endorsement of NATO Thursday. The best way to deter conflict "is to be ironclad in our support for our NATO allies," Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton said at the Defense One summit in Washington. Cotton, a former Army infantry officer and veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, was submitted as a potential pick by Vice Presidential-elect Mike Pence who is now leading transition efforts, a source told CNN Tuesday. "NATO is not a charity," he said. "We are in NATO because it's a security alliance that protects our interests."

Source: CNN November 17, 2016 19:18 UTC