After Trump tweeted that Corker had opted out of running for re-election in 2018 because he "didn't have the guts", Corker struck right back tweeting, "It’s a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning.". After Trump then claimed that Corker had begged for his endorsement and that his decision was colored by that lack of endorsement, Corker's office flatly denied Trump's claim and said Trump had urged him to run and promised his endorsement.
Corker followed that up with even more direct criticisms of Trump, finally admitting what we all know, "Look, except for a few people, the vast majority of our caucus understands what we’re dealing with here...[O]f course they understand the volatility that we’re dealing with and the tremendous amount of work that it takes by people around him to keep him in the middle of the road...I know for a fact that every single day at the White House, it’s a situation of trying to contain him". Corker added that Trump is treating the Presidency like "a reality show...like he’s doing ‘The Apprentice’ or something." He continued that Trump's escalating threats could send us "on the path to World War III...I know he has hurt, in several instances, he’s hurt us as it relates to [foreign] negotiations that were underway by tweeting things out...I don’t know why the president tweets out things that are not true. You know he does it, everyone knows he does it, but he does."
Earlier in the week, in the original comments that probably sent Trump off, Corker had defended Rex Tillerson, who had also apparently said what everyone already knows, namely that Trump is an expletive deleted "moron". Corker said Tillerson, Mattis, and Kelly who manage to "separate our country from chaos."
But, while Corker may be denigrating Trump today, he himself was instrumental in Trump's gaining the Presidency. Corker was one of Trump's earliest establishment supporters and, as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Corker's imprimatur was important in giving Trump, a political and diplomatic neophyte, foreign policy credibility, especially when compared with Hillary Clinton's extensive experience in that area. Moreover, Corker maintained the usual posture of establishment Republicans during the campaign by condemning Trump's individual statements and actions by expressing "concern" but never renouncing their support or clearly stating his unfitness for office.
Back in March of 2016, Corker rebuked the few establishment figures such as Mitt Romney who were declaring Trump as unfit for office by saying they were trying to "trying to stifle" the voice of voters, adding, "The American people should be angrier than they are."
After Trump's big foreign policy speech in April, 2016, Corker come out forcefully for Trump, saying, ""I really did think he did a good job on the speech. And there are some details that need to be filled in. But it was a big step forward. And I do like the fact that it does challenge the foreign policy establishment in Washington, which has really gotten it wrong for a long time. I like that."
In the wake of Trump's racist rant against Judge Curiel in June, Corker, who at that point was in the running for VP, simply wanted to move on, took the usual Republican position, "Look, I don't condone the comments. And we can press on to another topic." He subsequently added that Trump could "change the trajectory of this country" which is "not a possibility" with Hillary Clinton as President. And he ended with the usual GOP bromide, "He’s [Trump] got this defining period that’s over the next two or three weeks where he could pivot, can pivot, hopefully will pivot to a place where he becomes a true general election candidate." But that didn't top Corker from traveling the country and stumping with Trump on the campaign trail, saying at one stop that it was an "incredible privilege" to meet with Trump's family and Trump Organization employees so he could see "see the respect that they have for the person they've worked with." Those would be employees who are required to sign NDA's about their work and experience in the Trump Organization.
In September, in response to Trump's praise of Putin and Pence's statement that it was "inarguable that Vladimir Putin has been stronger in his country than Barack Obama has been in his country", Corker simply had this to say, "one has to be a little careful to let flattery affect one’s judgment" while at least permitting that "President Putin has operated in ways that very much have been against our interests."
On the very day that Trump's "Access Hollywood" tape was released and US intelligence officials reported that the Russians were in the process of hacking our election, Corker was named to Trump's national security advisory council. A statement from Corker read, "The campaign asked if I would be willing to answer national security questions as needed. These are critically important issues, and I am happy to take their calls and provide insight when appropriate". His reaction to Trump's own admission that he was a sexual predator was, "These comments are obviously very inappropriate and offensive and his apology was absolutely necessary."
In other words, Corker had plenty of reason to know that Trump was particularly unfit for office. But he did nothing to stop it. And, even after his burst of truthfulness over the weekend, Corker will not use the capabilities of Congressional oversight to actually rein Trump in The only exception To Congress' hand-off attitude when it comes to Trump's transgressions was to block Trump from removing sanctions on Russia. Corker and Congress' inaction will continue despite his fear Trump could "start World War III". Because nothing will stand in the way of winning the next election for Republicans.
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