Corker tells Times Free Press: Trump governs with division, anger, hate and damages U.S. globally

The Tennessean

Sen. Bob Corker has made no attempt to hide his thoughts on President Donald Trump, frequently making statements highlighting the divisions among longtime Republican Party leaders and the president.

Corker's recent criticism of Trump on the U.S. response to Saudi Arabia in the Jamal Khashoggi murder is no exception, with the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee sending a letter demanding that the President determine the Saudi Crown Prince's role in the journalist's death.

So it's no surprise that when Corker sat down with his hometown paper, the Chattanooga Time Free Press, he didn't hold back on his thoughts about Trump and the direction of the Republican Party.

The entire interview is available at the Time Free Press website, but here are a few highlights:

READ THE TIMES FREE PRESS STORY: Corker says Trump appeals to base, weakens U.S.

Trump's governing is based on "division, anger...and in some cases, even hate"

"He is able to keep his base together by his approach and instead of appealing to our better angels and trying to unite us like most people would try to do, the president tries to divide us," Corker told reporters and editors at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. "There's just no reason for it, and it doesn't take us to a better place to squander the well-earned good will that we have around the world at a time when our leadership is more important than ever."

U.S. policy typically Trump's the presidents rhetoric

"If you think about what we are actually doing and you had rhetoric to go with it to show global leadership, we would be in such a better place than we are now," he said. "With our allies in Europe, obviously the rhetoric is damaging. But if you look at what we are actually doing with NATO on the ground, especially in Eastern Europe where it matters most, we are doing more than we ever have done."

Corker hasn't ruled out a presidential run

The two-term Senator also told the Times Free Press that he wonders if voters will grow weary of Trump's act.

"It has been an effective formula and he did get elected and, from a Republican standpoint, he has been effective in getting a lot of things done," Corker said. "But I'm not sure people will appreciate that approach for an eight-year term. Maybe over a four-year period, people will say, 'He shook things up' and I like that." But this could just be a four-year aberration."

Trump's spending and trade measures have changed the ideology of the Republican Party.

"There is no one at the White House that can even explain how we could have a claim of national security to put steel and aluminum tariffs on Canada, Mexico and Europe when you are trying to get at China for what they are doing with intellectual property," Corker said. "It's just nonsensical."

KHASHOGGI MURDER: Corker takes action requiring Trump to determine if Saudi's are responsible

KHASHOGGI MURDER: Corker says 'Everything' says Saudi Crown Prince ordered Khashoggi's murder