President Donald Trump’s feud with another Republican senator bubbled over into the public sphere on Friday morning with a tweet from the President lashing out at Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) over comments the senator made last week.
Strange statement by Bob Corker considering that he is constantly asking me whether or not he should run again in '18. Tennessee not happy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 25, 2017
Trump’s attack on Corker, who is not particularly vulnerable in 2018, appears to be a delayed reaction to the senator’s remarks from last week criticizing Trump’s leadership style following the President’s failure to fully condemn white nationalists in the wake of the violence in Charlottesville.
Corker told reporters that the White House needs “some radical changes” and that Trump “has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability, nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful.” The senator also criticized Trump for “helping inspire divisions because it generates support from your political base.”
During the first on-camera White House press briefing in weeks, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked about Corker’s comments and refused to engage.
“I think that’s a ridiculous and outrageous claim and doesn’t even require a response from this podium,” she said.
It seems Sanders’ comments tipped off Trump to the fact that Corker aired the criticism in the first place.
Trump was already unhappy with Corker, the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, over legislation imposing new sanctions on Russia and limiting Trump’s ability to roll back the punishments. Politico reported Wednesday that Trump had called Corker to express his frustration with the legislation, but that the senator would not back down.
Self-evidently true that (a) Trump only heeds news that explicitly references himself and (b) his news intake is insanely tiny–basically, Fox & Friends and his own staff’s press gaggles.
Boy, the whole “John Kelly will bring stability” thing is really workin’ out for ya, right Mitch?
Alternate Headline: Trump Continues to Dig Own Grave
Trump: Let’s get that guy from SC who called MLK ‘Martin Luther Coon’ to move to Nashville.
Wow, I never thought that as bad as Trump would be, we’d see him actively trying, with words, money and recruitment support, to unseat long-time Republiscum politicians! This is good news yet one other good side I’ve yet to see widely discussed.
Just think how many House and Senate incumbents are scared shitless that Trump may zero in on their upcoming election runs if they dare to oppose him. Hence, as he keeps issuing unhinged, racist, stupid and dangerous utterances, these hapless Republiscum warriors get tied ever tighter to his crazy presidency.
We can only hope for evermore loony Trumpisms!
Note the time stamp.