Corker: Trump Cares More About How Leaders Treat Him Than Defending US

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Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) expressed his “disappointment” after the Trump-Putin presser Monday, saying that President Donald Trump made America look like a “pushover.”

“I just felt like the President’s comments made us look as a nation more like a pushover. I was disappointed in that,” he told reporters. “When he had the opportunity to defend our intelligence agencies, who work for him, I was very disappointed and saddened with the equivalency he gave between them and what Putin was saying.”

He went on to point out how the press conference represents a pattern of Trump behavior.

“Sometimes the President cares more about how a leader treats him personally than forcefully getting out there and pushing against things that we know have harmed our nation,” Corker said. “I thought that’s what we all experienced today.”

He continued to say that Putin gained a “tremendous amount” from Trump’s clear approval, and that it would help Russia rebound from being “ostracized.” He added that Putin is probably “having caviar right now.”

Corker, who has criticized Trump enough to earn a nickname, is not running for reelection in 2018.

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