Senator Bob Corker (R-Tennessee) spent the last few weeks generating national headlines with his sometimes surprising takes on everything from the Commander in Chief to the race to replace him.
His comments came in Nashville after a Q and A session at Lipscomb University Friday morning. It followed a few weeks of headlines in which the Republican said the tax cut vote could be the "worst vote" he ever made, expressed doubts on Trump running for re-election, and his mixed messages on who should replace him in the U.S. Senate.
The Senator's newfound admiration society among the national media may be wearing thin. Twice today he told Newschannel5 that he'd "said enough about that" and he says that his "worst vote" comment was taken out of context.
First of all, about that tax vote: he says he was responding to the Congressional Budget Office estimate that the tax cuts will add nearly $1.84 trillion to the budget deficit over the next nine years.
"If it ends up costing us that much, it may be the worst vote I've ever made. Now I don't think it's going to cost that much. I was really challenging" the CBO estimate.
"It's going to take ten years to see if we have the economic growth that was projected. I hope that my vote is the best vote I've ever made."
The Senator has also raised some eyebrows over his unwillingness to campaign in the race to replace him. GOP Congressman Marsha Blackburn is likely to face off against Democrat Phil Bredesen in November for his Senate seat. Though he acknowledged that he's donated money to Blackburn and intends to vote for her, he says he won't campaign against his old friend Bredesen.
"Governor Bredesen has been a friend of mine for 23 years. We worked together to bring the Titans to our state. We worked together to bring Volkswagen to our state," Sen. Corker said, though quickly added that his stance to not campaign on Blackburn's behalf is "out of respect."
"I think I've said enough about that," he went on to say. "I should probably let well enough be alone."
Finally, we asked the Senator about his sometimes rocky relationship with the President. He characterized their relationship as warm, but refused to say if he would support the President in 2020 and reiterated doubts about a Trump re-election bid.
"Look I have no idea who's going to be running in 2020. Do I think the President's going to run? I doubt it to be honest."
Which begs the question - will Senator Corker make a run for the White House himself?
"I haven't given my future a great deal of thought."
