Republican Senator Cotton criticized for 'necessary evil' slavery comment

FILE PHOTO: Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) questions David Marcus, head of Facebook's Calibra (digital wallet service), during testimony before a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on "Examining Facebook's Proposed Digital Currency and Data Privacy Considerations" on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., July 16, 2019. REUTERS/Erin Scott/File Photo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. Senator Tom Cotton came under pressure over published comments in which he said America's founders viewed slavery as a "necessary evil."

Cotton, seen as a possible 2024 presidential candidate, made the comments in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette while attacking the New York Times 1619 Project's effort to make slavery a focal point of American history for U.S. schools.