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| Senior Republican feuds with Trump, saying he's 'debasing our nation' | Senior Republican feuds with Trump, saying he's 'debasing our nation' |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Donald Trump is an “utterly untruthful” president, a senior Republican senator said on Tuesday as his feud with Trump raged across the TV and Twitter. | Donald Trump is an “utterly untruthful” president, a senior Republican senator said on Tuesday as his feud with Trump raged across the TV and Twitter. |
| Senator Bob Corker and the president lashed out at one another as Trump prepared to visit Capitol Hill for a lunch with GOP senators to discuss their plans for tax reform, among other things. | Senator Bob Corker and the president lashed out at one another as Trump prepared to visit Capitol Hill for a lunch with GOP senators to discuss their plans for tax reform, among other things. |
| Corker, the chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, said world leaders were “very aware” that much of what Trump said “is untrue”. The president, he told CNN, was “debasing our nation” and “has great difficulty with the truth on many issues”. | Corker, the chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, said world leaders were “very aware” that much of what Trump said “is untrue”. The president, he told CNN, was “debasing our nation” and “has great difficulty with the truth on many issues”. |
| The Tennessee Republican – who is retiring and has said “the most important public service I have to offer our country could well occur over the next 15 months” – said the Trump was “obviously not going to rise to the occasion as president”. | The Tennessee Republican – who is retiring and has said “the most important public service I have to offer our country could well occur over the next 15 months” – said the Trump was “obviously not going to rise to the occasion as president”. |
| His presidential tenure will be remembered, Corker says, for “the debasing of our nation, the constant non-truth-telling, the name-calling. It’s very sad for our nation.” | His presidential tenure will be remembered, Corker says, for “the debasing of our nation, the constant non-truth-telling, the name-calling. It’s very sad for our nation.” |
| After Corker went on NBC’s Today on Tuesday and said Trump’s White House should let Congress decide how to pay for his tax cuts, Trump fired back with the first of a series of tweets, writing that Corker “couldn’t get elected dog-catcher in Tennessee”. | After Corker went on NBC’s Today on Tuesday and said Trump’s White House should let Congress decide how to pay for his tax cuts, Trump fired back with the first of a series of tweets, writing that Corker “couldn’t get elected dog-catcher in Tennessee”. |
| Corker responded on social media himself, tweeting: “Same untruths from an utterly untruthful president. #AlertTheDaycareStaff.” | Corker responded on social media himself, tweeting: “Same untruths from an utterly untruthful president. #AlertTheDaycareStaff.” |
| That was a reference to a comment he made earlier this month, when he noted: “It’s a shame the White House has become an adult daycare center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning.” | That was a reference to a comment he made earlier this month, when he noted: “It’s a shame the White House has become an adult daycare center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning.” |
| Corker was considered for both vice-president and secretary of state and was a key Trump ally during much of the 2016 campaign. He has since become a vocal critic, claiming Trump could be setting the nation on a path to a third world war. | Corker was considered for both vice-president and secretary of state and was a key Trump ally during much of the 2016 campaign. He has since become a vocal critic, claiming Trump could be setting the nation on a path to a third world war. |
| Trump has called Corker “Liddle’ [sic] Bob Corker”. | Trump has called Corker “Liddle’ [sic] Bob Corker”. |
| The president’s latest spat with the senator came after Corker said the White House should “step aside” and let Congress’s tax-writing committees figure out how to pay for the $1tn tax cut Trump wants to sign by the end of the year. | The president’s latest spat with the senator came after Corker said the White House should “step aside” and let Congress’s tax-writing committees figure out how to pay for the $1tn tax cut Trump wants to sign by the end of the year. |
| Corker said the tough, “spinach part” of the process was looming and suggested that recent White House decisions to take proposals off the table were not helping. On Monday, Trump ruled out changes to popular 401(k) retirement plans to help pay for the tax cut. | Corker said the tough, “spinach part” of the process was looming and suggested that recent White House decisions to take proposals off the table were not helping. On Monday, Trump ruled out changes to popular 401(k) retirement plans to help pay for the tax cut. |
| Corker has said he could oppose moves to pass tax reform, a priority for Republicans after the repeated failure of attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Corker has insisted that any changes to the tax code must reduce the deficit. Trump’s plan would probably increase it. Republicans hold a slim 52-48 majority in the Senate, making defections costly. | Corker has said he could oppose moves to pass tax reform, a priority for Republicans after the repeated failure of attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Corker has insisted that any changes to the tax code must reduce the deficit. Trump’s plan would probably increase it. Republicans hold a slim 52-48 majority in the Senate, making defections costly. |
| Trump accused him of “fighting tax cuts” and mused: “Isn’t it sad that lightweight Senator Bob Corker, who couldn’t get re-elected in the Great State of Tennessee, will now fight Tax Cuts plus!” | Trump accused him of “fighting tax cuts” and mused: “Isn’t it sad that lightweight Senator Bob Corker, who couldn’t get re-elected in the Great State of Tennessee, will now fight Tax Cuts plus!” |
| Trump claimed again that Corker decided to retire after Trump refused to endorse him “and now is only negative on anything Trump. Look at his record!” | Trump claimed again that Corker decided to retire after Trump refused to endorse him “and now is only negative on anything Trump. Look at his record!” |
| In a statement to the Guardian earlier this month, Corker’s chief of staff, Todd Womack, directly contradicted Trump’s claim. “The president called Sen Corker on Monday afternoon and asked him to reconsider his decision not to seek re-election and reaffirmed that he would have endorsed him, as he has said many times,” he said. | In a statement to the Guardian earlier this month, Corker’s chief of staff, Todd Womack, directly contradicted Trump’s claim. “The president called Sen Corker on Monday afternoon and asked him to reconsider his decision not to seek re-election and reaffirmed that he would have endorsed him, as he has said many times,” he said. |
| The meal with senators will be Trump’s first appearance as president at the Senate Republicans’ regular Tuesday policy lunch. Trump has also been sparring with GOP senators such as John McCain of Arizona and the majority leader, Mitch McConnell – though McConnell and Trump had a joint press conference last week to try to smooth things over. | |
| The Associated Press contributed to this report | The Associated Press contributed to this report |