Tom Cotton is what I'd call a true American nationalist.
He's not an oligarch in the sense that Trump is. He grew up in rural Arkansas. His parents were bureaucrats / teachers. He has a law degree and served in the military, and he actually volunteered for combat despite not having to. His face screams Anglo-Saxon heritage and descent from an old cow boy / plantation family. He likely, truly believes in "old American values" as they were during the settler days, and doesn't come off as a snake the way that, say, Zuckerberg does.
In short, I believe him when he says he thinks China and Tik Tok are the enemy; and contrary to many of his fellow Republicans, he didn't hold back just because Trump said so. He's a fundamentalist - the sort that views the world in black and white terms, and however misguided that might be, it separates him from the typical American politician whose platform is up for bid.