Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker told reporters Wednesday that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, and White House chief of staff John Kelly “are those people that help separate our country from chaos.”
Sen. Corker, who was considered for Tillerson’s role, has recently grown critical of the administration. He said in August that Trump “has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability, nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful.”
The Tennessee senator’s comments Wednesday came after a question about an NBC report that Tillerson disparaged Trump in private and wanted to resign. Corker wouldn’t comment on the report.
He added that Tillerson is in a “very trying situation” and “trying to solve many of the world’s problems without the kind of support I’d like to see him have.”
When asked about his comments that Tillerson, Mattis, and Kelly separate that nation from “chaos,” Corker replied: “They work very well together to make sure the policies we put forward around the world are sound and coherent…there are other people within the administration that don’t. Okay. Sorry…I hope they stay because they are valuable to the national security of our nation. They are valuable to us putting forward good policy…valuable to our citizens feeling safe and secure.”
WATCH: SEN. CORKER DISCUSSES REPORTS ABOUT HIS CONSIDERATION FOR SECRETARY OF STATE WITHIN THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION