Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton announced Monday that he would not be a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2024 election.

In an exclusive interview with Fox News, Cotton said that family was the sole consideration in his decision.

“My boys are age 7 and 5. They’re old enough to know that dad’s gone and be sad about it but not old enough to understand the purpose and why it all matters and why the sacrifice is worth it,” Cotton explained. “I am pretty sure Republican voters can find another nominee, but I know that my sons can’t find another dad for the next two years.”

Additionally, the senator noted that “over the next two years my 7-year-old will learn to hit the fastball and my 5-year-old will learn to read, and I want to be there to teach them both.”

However, Cotton is leaving the door wide open to a future White House run, emphasizing “this is a decision only about this 2024 race and this time for my family. We’ll make a decision about future races in the future, especially as my boys get older and understand more about why I do the work I do and what it means for them and for our country.”

Cotton made the best decision for himself, the GOP, and the country. The 2024 race is shaping up to be a bruising one with Donald Trump and some of the best political talent the GOP has produced in decades in the running.

According to Politico, Cotton seemed to lean towards a run and then pulled the plug a couple of weeks ago.

Until this week, Cotton was one of those looking at a national campaign. He has spent much of the last two years campaigning across the country for Republican midterm candidates, using local races as an opportunity to introduce himself to voters. He has taken a series of trips to Iowa and New Hampshire, which host the party’s first two presidential nominating contests. And he raised $8 million that could have seeded a presidential campaign account.

Cotton also bolstered his national profile by releasing a book on military history, and he recently expanded his political operation, moving one of his top advisers, Brian Colas, from his Senate office to a role with his political action committee. Cotton also invited top donors to a post-midterm fundraising retreat at the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Va., which was seen as a precursor to the launch of a national campaign.

But over the last few weeks, Cotton began cooling on the idea. This week, he began calling allies to tell them that he wouldn’t be running, citing the concerns about his family. During the calls, however, Cotton made clear that he would be open to serving in a future Republican presidential administration. Cotton — an Afghanistan and Iraq war veteran — was mentioned as a potential nominee for CIA director during the Trump administration.

I like Cotton. I respect anyone who could’ve engaged in combat tourism as a lawyer to pad their resume, like Beau Biden, Pete whatsisname, and a well-known, pretentious twit who used to work for a prominent GOP establishment publication but elected to go the route of a man by choosing the Infantry and completing Airborne and Ranger training (and yes, Tom Cotton is an Army Ranger, no matter what the pencil-neck left claims). That said, I’m not sure Cotton has the “right stuff,” the charisma needed to head the ticket in a successful White House run, but he is an vital defender of Liberty in the Senate and would be a rockstar in any future GOP cabinet.