President Donald Trump on Sunday lashed out at Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN), who announced in September that he will retire in 2018, and claimed Corker “didn’t have the guts” to run for re-election without a presidential endorsement.
“Senator Bob Corker ‘begged’ me to endorse him for re-election in Tennessee. I said ‘NO’ and he dropped out,” Trump tweeted.
He claimed Corker “wanted to be Secretary of State” but said his response was “NO THANKS.”
“He is also largely responsible for the horrendous Iran Deal!” Trump tweeted. “Hence, I would fully expect Corker to be a negative voice and stand in the way of our great agenda. Didn’t have the guts to run!”
Corker will remain in the Senate until 2018, and on Friday suggested that he would be more than willing to vote against any Republican tax plan that increases the deficit.
Senator Bob Corker "begged" me to endorse him for re-election in Tennessee. I said "NO" and he dropped out (said he could not win without…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2017
..my endorsement). He also wanted to be Secretary of State, I said "NO THANKS." He is also largely responsible for the horrendous Iran Deal!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2017
…Hence, I would fully expect Corker to be a negative voice and stand in the way of our great agenda. Didn't have the guts to run!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 8, 2017
On Wednesday, Corker praised Secretary of State Rex Tillerson amid reports that Tillerson openly characterized Trump as a “moron” in July.
Corker said Tillerson, White House chief of staff John Kelly and Secretary of Defense James Mattis “are those people that help separate our country from chaos, and I support them very much.”
He said Tillerson, Mattis and Kelly “work very well together to make sure that the policies we put forth around the world are sound and coherent.”
“There are other people within the administration, in my belief, that don’t,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
