Senator Bob Corker called the fight over President Trump's border wall “a made-up fight so that the president could look like he’s fighting.” | Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images government shutdown Corker says Trump could have avoided shutdown

Calling the whole battle “juvenile,” Sen. Bob Corker said Sunday the president could easily have avoided the current fight over funding for a border wall if he wanted to.

Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” the Tennessee Republican called the battle, which has led to a partial shutdown of the government, “a made-up fight so that the president could look like he’s fighting.”


Lamenting the “purposely contrived fight,” Corker said “our borders are going to be insecure” no matter who ultimately wins the shutdown fight.

“It’s not just about the money, it‘s what we are spending it on,” Corker said, saying a wall might not be the most effective solution anyway. He cited security technology the U.S. military has used overseas.

The senator said President Donald Trump could have gotten funding for a border wall if he had been willing months ago to accept a deal meant to resolve the status of Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who came to the country as young children and whose status has been up in the air.

Corker also told host Jake Tapper he’s very concerned about the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Syria, which Trump announced last week. Corker predicted there would be grave consequences for the region from the American withdrawal.

“I‘m just saddened for our country. I’m saddened for the broken relationships with countries that have been with us” the retiring senator said, lamenting the United States being “unreliable.”

“I am devastated by this,” he said, adding later, “Some devastating decisions are being made.”

Corker says lawmakers will need to step in.

“I think it’s going to be very important for our country that the United States Senate really dig in and make sure we don’t make other colossal mistakes as it relates to foreign policy.”

Later Sunday, Trump blasted Corker on Twitter.

“Bob Corker was responsible for giving us the horrible Iran Nuclear Deal, which I ended, yet he badmouths me for wanting to bring our young people safely back home,” he tweeted.

