Republican Senator Bob Corker called out President Trump on Sunday evening, saying the president is running the country like a “reality show.” Then, Sen. Corker added that Trump could set the United States on “the path to World War III.”
The comments appeared in an interview with The New York Times. In the interview, it seems the war of words between Corker and Trump have escalated after the Tennessee senator announced he would not seek reelection in 2018.
Corker told the Times, “He concerns me. He would have to concern anyone who cares about our nation.
Corker added that Trump might not understand the power of the presidency.
“I don’t think he appreciates that when the president of the United States speaks and says the things that he does, the impact that it has around the world, especially in the region that he’s addressing,” he told The Times. “And so, yeah, it’s concerning to me.”
On Sunday, Trump called out Corker on Twitter, claiming he denied the senator an endorsement and rejected him as a candidate for secretary of state. Trump also blamed Corker for what he called the “horrible Iran Deal.” Trump added that Sen. Corker “didn’t have the guts” to run for reelection.
But Corker did not take those comments sitting down. Corker took to Twitter to fire back saying, “shame the White House has become an adult day care center.” Corker also told the Times Trump encouraged Corker to run for reelection and even offered to endorse the Senator, only for Corker to decide not to run again.
“I don’t know why the president tweets out things that are not true,” he told The Times. “You know he does it, everyone knows he does it, but he does.”
The public disagreement between the President and the Tennessee Senator, who lead the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, all started on Wednesday when Corker criticized the president for undermining Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s strategy for easing relations between North Korea and the United States. Corker described Tillerson as being someone that can “help separate our country from chaos.” Also, Corker also criticized Trump’s tax plan, saying last Monday it could increase the deficit.