Trump versus Corker goes into extra rounds amid push for tax reform
President Trump added fuel to his feud with Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., Tuesday, saying the retiring senator “couldn’t get elected dog catcher” in his home state, after Corker suggested the White House let Congress take the reins on tax reform.
“Bob Corker, who helped President O give us the bad Iran Deal & couldn’t get elected dog catcher in Tennessee, is now fighting Tax Cuts…. …Corker dropped out of the race in Tennesse [sic] when I refused to endorse him, and now is only negative on anything Trump,” Trump tweeted Tuesday. “Look at his record!”
Corker quickly shot back, “Same untruths from an utterly untruthful president. #AlertTheDaycareStaff.”
The president wasn’t finished. He then added, “Isn’t it sad that lightweight Senator Bob Corker, who couldn’t get re-elected in the Great State of Tennessee, will now fight Tax Cuts plus!”
“Sen. Corker is the incompetent head of the Foreign Relations Committee, & look how poorly the U.S. has done,” Trump continued. “He doesn’t have a clue as….. …the entire World WAS laughing and taking advantage of us. People like liddle’ Bob Corker have set the U.S. way back. Now we move forward!”
In an interview with CNN Tuesday, Corker predicted “the debasement of our nation will be what [Trump]’ll be remembered most for, and that’s regretful.”
CORKER UNLOADS: He would NOT support Trump again; says Trump NOT a role model; won't say if he trusts Trump w nukes https://t.co/oAGIWVZ8P9
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) October 24, 2017
In later remarks to reporters, Corker hinted he regretted his past support for Trump, and repeated that Trump is “debasing” the nation “in the way that he conducts himself and goes to such a low level.”
“It’s obvious his political model and governing model is to divide,” Corker said. “He has not risen to the occasion — it’s very evident to me.”
In a contrasting prescriptive to his colleagues, Corker added, “The rest of us need to do what we can to act as statesmen.”
The barbs escalated the war of words between Corker and Trump. The Tennessee senator had earlier this month likened the White House to an “adult day care center” after the president went on a Twitter tirade against him.
Trump retorted then that the senator “didn’t have the guts to run” for reelection in 2018. He asserted that Corker was attempting to derail the White House agenda because he hadn’t been named secretary of state or received Trump’s endorsement in the Tennessee Senate race.
Later that day, Corker, in an interview with the New York Times, said of Trump: “I know for a fact that every single day at the White House, it’s a situation of trying to contain him.”
Corker will attend a lunch with Trump and Republican senators on Capitol Hill Tuesday, although he described the meeting as a “photo op” to NBC News Monday. He implied that Congress, not the White House, should lead tax reform efforts.
“You got to remember, tax reform is our agenda,” Corker said. “It’s the Senate’s agenda. It’s a House agenda. This was something that’s been on our agenda long before the president ran for president. So, to act as if it’s his agenda — it’s our agenda.”
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