President Trump claimed Sunday that Republican Sen. Bob Corker is not running for re-election in Tennessee after he “begged” Trump to endorse him and the president said “no.”
“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 my endorsement). He also wanted to be Secretary of State, I said ‘NO THANKS.’ He is also largely responsible for the horrendous Iran Deal!” Trump said in a series of tweets.
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
Trump added that Corker “didn’t have the guts to run.”
…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
About an hour later Corker responded with a snarky tweet of his own, calling Trump’s White House an “adult day care center” and saying “obviously missed their shift this morning.”
It’s a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning.
— Senator Bob Corker (@SenBobCorker) October 8, 2017
Corker announced in late September he would not seek re-election in 2018.
“When I ran for the Senate in 2006, I told people that I couldn’t imagine serving for more than two terms. Understandably, as we have gained influence, that decision has become more difficult,” Corker said in a statement.
Trump’s tweet comes days after Corker said he was standing by his criticism of the president as incompetent for his response to the violence in Charlottesville, Va., in August that resulted from white supremacists demonstrators clashing with counter-protesters.
Corker, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, also said last week that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and White House chief of staff John Kelly are saving the “country from chaos.”
Trump tweeted in August that Corker “constantly” asked him whether he should run again. The Associated Press reported weeks later that Trump was privately encouraging Corker to run for a third term.
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
