President Donald Trump said Tuesday morning that “Liddle” Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee was set up by New York Times reporters during an interview Sunday.
“The Failing @nytimes set Liddle’ Bob Corker up by recording his conversation. Was made to sound a fool, and that’s what I am dealing with,” Trump tweeted.
The Failing @nytimes set Liddle’ Bob Corker up by recording his conversation. Was made to sound a fool, and that’s what I am dealing with!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 10, 2017
Corker spoke with NYT Sunday to talk about how he thinks the administration is doing both domestically and abroad, the president’s response to his retirement announcement and a host of other issues.
The Tennessee senator told The New York Times that the president “concerns” him and that Trump was treating the White House like “a reality show.”
One of the Times reporters, Jonathan Martin, disputes the president’s claims that they unknowingly recorded the senator during the interview. Martin says that Corker had two aids on the call who were also recording the conversation.
Corker had 2 aides on line, also recording, and they made sure after it ended that I was taping, too.
EXCERPTS >https://t.co/xo4FNaSTvp
— Jonathan Martin (@jmartNYT) October 10, 2017
The president came out swinging against the Corker Sunday morning. Trump claimed that Corker “begged” him for his endorsement in the 2018 election cycle, and called the senator a man with “no guts.”
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
Corker revealed in late September that he will vacate his seat at the end of his second term in the Senate in 2018.
The senator likened the White House under President Donald Trump to an “adult day care center” Sunday, a likely retort to the president’s early morning tweet storm attacking the senator.
“It’s a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning,” Corker tweeted Sunday.
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 was likely referring to White House Chief of Staff John Kelly when he said “someone obviously missed their shift this morning.”
Kelly notably shook up the inner workings of the West Wing when he replaced Reince Priebus in the summer. Kelly fired former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci just 10 days after the Wall Street banker took the job. He also terminated two National Security Council advisers.
The Tennessee senator has hinted he will vote against any tax reform bill that adds a single cent to the national debt, and the recent feud isn’t likely to help the president going forward with his administration’s legislative agenda.
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