Sen. Bob Corker, Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said “it’s a tremendous privilege to do what I do, and to weigh in on the big issues.” Corker was speaking with CNN about the possibility of retiring in 2018, rather than face re-election in Tennessee, where the incumbent would likely be a huge favorite to win. Corker recently unleashed strong criticism of President Donald Trump‘s controversial statements after the racist violence in Charlottesville, saying “The President has not yet, has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful.”
Predictably that brought a response from the president, who called Corker’s comment “strange.” But that Trump reaction is surely a quiet tweet in the pantheon of Trump reaction tweets. Corker and Trump are friendly and Corker was reportedly considered for various Trump administration cabinet posts. His statement about his job being a “tremendous privilege” sounds valedictory and makes retirement seem like a real option. For the record, Corker has done more than merely “weigh in” on the big issues of his time. The 65-year-old Corker has been in the Senate for a decade.
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
