Sen. Bob Corker blasted President Trump’s handling of racially charged protests in Virginia, telling reporters Thursday that the president lacks “stability.”

Mr. Corker, Tennessee Republican and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said Mr. Trump “has not demonstrated he understands the character of this nation.” His comments to reporters came after he gave a speech in his home state.

“The president has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful,” Mr. Corker said. “He has not demonstrated that he understands what has made this nation great and what it is today, and he’s got to demonstrate the characteristics of a president who understands that. And without the things that I just mentioned happening, our nation is going to go through great peril.”

Mr. Corker said there must be “radical changes” at the White House, although he did not elaborate.

“There just needs to be a different approach,” he said. “The world needs our president to be successful.”

The lawmaker slammed Mr. Trump for his Tuesday comments that blamed “both sides” of a white nationalist demonstration for violence in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“Helping inspire divisions because it generates support from your political base is not a formula for causing our nation to advance, our nation to overcome the many issues we have to deal with right now,” Mr. Corker said.

He said Americans “need for him to be successful.”

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