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| Bob Corker, Often an Ally of Trump, Is Latest Republican to Be Attacked by Him | Bob Corker, Often an Ally of Trump, Is Latest Republican to Be Attacked by Him |
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| President Trump escalated his attacks on congressional Republicans on Friday, targeting Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, a frequent ally who was also among the most vocal critics of the president’s remarks in response to the violence two weeks ago in Charlottesville, Va. | President Trump escalated his attacks on congressional Republicans on Friday, targeting Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, a frequent ally who was also among the most vocal critics of the president’s remarks in response to the violence two weeks ago in Charlottesville, Va. |
| The president’s early-morning tweet appeared to suggest that Mr. Corker was in political trouble in his home state. | The president’s early-morning tweet appeared to suggest that Mr. Corker was in political trouble in his home state. |
| It was not immediately clear what conversation Mr. Trump was referring to, or what provoked him to attack Mr. Corker more than a week after the senator said 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.” | It was not immediately clear what conversation Mr. Trump was referring to, or what provoked him to attack Mr. Corker more than a week after the senator said 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.” |
| But Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, was asked about Mr. Corker at her news briefing on Thursday, and those clips were mentioned on some Friday morning television newscasts that the president might have seen. | But Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, was asked about Mr. Corker at her news briefing on Thursday, and those clips were mentioned on some Friday morning television newscasts that the president might have seen. |
| An aide to Mr. Corker declined to comment on Mr. Trump’s tweet. | |
| Mr. Corker is only the latest Senate Republican to be the object of the president’s anger. Mr. Trump has repeatedly criticized Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, for not seeking to eliminate the filibuster and for the Senate’s failure to pass a health care bill, and made critical comments about Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jeff Flake and John McCain of Arizona. | Mr. Corker is only the latest Senate Republican to be the object of the president’s anger. Mr. Trump has repeatedly criticized Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, for not seeking to eliminate the filibuster and for the Senate’s failure to pass a health care bill, and made critical comments about Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Jeff Flake and John McCain of Arizona. |
| By contrast, the president has singled out few Democrats, saving his criticism for their leadership. | By contrast, the president has singled out few Democrats, saving his criticism for their leadership. |
| “You can’t make sense of it from any normal political perspective,” said Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster. “The effect is going to be to have congressional Republicans take off on their own and accomplish as much as they can.” | “You can’t make sense of it from any normal political perspective,” said Whit Ayres, a Republican pollster. “The effect is going to be to have congressional Republicans take off on their own and accomplish as much as they can.” |
| Brian Walsh, a former adviser to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said that Mr. Trump’s attacks on his own party were “shortsighted and self-destructive,” but that “unfortunately, he shows no sign of letting up.” | Brian Walsh, a former adviser to the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said that Mr. Trump’s attacks on his own party were “shortsighted and self-destructive,” but that “unfortunately, he shows no sign of letting up.” |
| “The president’s governing philosophy appears to be ‘if it feels good, do it,’ but when he attacks his Republican allies he’s not only helping Senate Democrats, but he’s hurting his ability to get his agenda through Congress,” Mr. Walsh said. | “The president’s governing philosophy appears to be ‘if it feels good, do it,’ but when he attacks his Republican allies he’s not only helping Senate Democrats, but he’s hurting his ability to get his agenda through Congress,” Mr. Walsh said. |
| At her news briefing on Friday, Ms. Sanders was asked how the president would advance legislation with a slim Republican majority when he attacked his own party. She shifted the blame to Congress, saying: “I think it’s clear that the end game is for Congress to do its job and actually pass legislation. I think the American people are very frustrated with Congress’s lack of action.” | At her news briefing on Friday, Ms. Sanders was asked how the president would advance legislation with a slim Republican majority when he attacked his own party. She shifted the blame to Congress, saying: “I think it’s clear that the end game is for Congress to do its job and actually pass legislation. I think the American people are very frustrated with Congress’s lack of action.” |
| Some of Mr. Trump’s closest allies say that he believes he cannot go wrong attacking his own party, having won a presidential race doing just that, or separating himself from an unpopular Congress. And some White House advisers say the president needs to remind people that he won by campaigning against Washington and politics as usual. | Some of Mr. Trump’s closest allies say that he believes he cannot go wrong attacking his own party, having won a presidential race doing just that, or separating himself from an unpopular Congress. And some White House advisers say the president needs to remind people that he won by campaigning against Washington and politics as usual. |
| But those advisers also say that reading too much into his Gatling-gun-style Twitter sprees is a mistake, and that there are few illusions inside the West Wing that Mr. Trump would be able to shift the blame if his plan for tax cuts meets the same fate as his push for a health care repeal. | But those advisers also say that reading too much into his Gatling-gun-style Twitter sprees is a mistake, and that there are few illusions inside the West Wing that Mr. Trump would be able to shift the blame if his plan for tax cuts meets the same fate as his push for a health care repeal. |
| Mr. Trump’s brewing feud with Mr. Corker is even more remarkable because Mr. Corker is the rare Republican senator who has developed something of a personal relationship with the president. Mr. Corker was seen as a possible running mate for Mr. Trump, and then a contender to be secretary of state. | Mr. Trump’s brewing feud with Mr. Corker is even more remarkable because Mr. Corker is the rare Republican senator who has developed something of a personal relationship with the president. Mr. Corker was seen as a possible running mate for Mr. Trump, and then a contender to be secretary of state. |
| In April, the two men had dinner, and in June, Mr. Corker was spotted outside the White House along with the former N.F.L. quarterback Peyton Manning after Mr. Trump’s motorcade returned from a trip to Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. | In April, the two men had dinner, and in June, Mr. Corker was spotted outside the White House along with the former N.F.L. quarterback Peyton Manning after Mr. Trump’s motorcade returned from a trip to Trump National Golf Club in Virginia. |
| In conversations with reporters on Capitol Hill, Mr. Corker has made clear that he is no fan of Mr. Trump’s carefree tweeting. At times, he has been unable to contain his exasperation with the administration, saying at one point that the White House was in a “downward spiral.” | In conversations with reporters on Capitol Hill, Mr. Corker has made clear that he is no fan of Mr. Trump’s carefree tweeting. At times, he has been unable to contain his exasperation with the administration, saying at one point that the White House was in a “downward spiral.” |
| But he has also praised the president, gushing that Mr. Trump’s first foreign trip had been “executed to near perfection.” As the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Corker has a powerful perch in the Senate, and the administration has no choice but to work with him. | But he has also praised the president, gushing that Mr. Trump’s first foreign trip had been “executed to near perfection.” As the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, Mr. Corker has a powerful perch in the Senate, and the administration has no choice but to work with him. |
| On Friday, Tennessee’s senior senator, Lamar Alexander, a Republican, offered a vote of confidence in the relationship between the president and Mr. Corker. | On Friday, Tennessee’s senior senator, Lamar Alexander, a Republican, offered a vote of confidence in the relationship between the president and Mr. Corker. |
| “There is no senator — no Republican senator — who President Trump talks to more than Bob Corker,” Mr. Alexander said. “I know that for a fact. They have great respect for one another, so my reaction is maybe it’s time for them to play another round of golf together.” | “There is no senator — no Republican senator — who President Trump talks to more than Bob Corker,” Mr. Alexander said. “I know that for a fact. They have great respect for one another, so my reaction is maybe it’s time for them to play another round of golf together.” |
| A Vanderbilt University poll conducted in May found that 52 percent of Tennessee voters approved of the job Mr. Corker was doing as senator — the same percentage that approved of the job Mr. Trump was doing as president. | |
| Joe Carr, a former Tennessee state representative, who said he was considering running for the Senate next year, when Mr. Corker could seek a third term, took exception to Mr. Corker’s criticism of Mr. Trump. “You don’t publicly shame and humiliate the president,” he said. | |
| “It just seems those Republican establishment globalists like Bob Corker have an agenda to change the president by any means necessary,” said Mr. Carr, who won about 40 percent of the vote when he challenged Mr. Alexander in the Republican primary in 2014. “I want the president to resist that influence and stick to his promises.” | |
| Mr. Trump’s distance from the Republican Party was noted by the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, which has often been supportive of his agenda. | Mr. Trump’s distance from the Republican Party was noted by the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal, which has often been supportive of his agenda. |
| “A biographer says Donald Trump once told him that he informed second wife Marla Maples he was seeking a divorce by leaking it to The New York Post,” The Journal said in an editorial on Friday. “President Trump now seems to be using Twitter to tell Republicans in Congress that he’s divorcing them, or at least seeking a trial separation, and for its own self-preservation the G.O.P. Congress is going to have to find different living arrangements.” | “A biographer says Donald Trump once told him that he informed second wife Marla Maples he was seeking a divorce by leaking it to The New York Post,” The Journal said in an editorial on Friday. “President Trump now seems to be using Twitter to tell Republicans in Congress that he’s divorcing them, or at least seeking a trial separation, and for its own self-preservation the G.O.P. Congress is going to have to find different living arrangements.” |
| Mr. Ayres said that Republicans in Congress seemed set to do just that. | Mr. Ayres said that Republicans in Congress seemed set to do just that. |
| “And I think they’re prepared to do that now,” he said. “They understand that’s how things are going to get done.” | “And I think they’re prepared to do that now,” he said. “They understand that’s how things are going to get done.” |