As we all know, when Trump feels attacks or slighted, he lashes back by any means, fair or foul. Hence his tweets about Bob Corker yesterday morning. I’m not a fan of Corker and urge everyone to read Andy on his role easing the way for the Iran deal. But what Trump said about him — that he was desperate for Trump’s endorsement in his prospective Senate re-election race and wanted to be Secretary of State — is untrue. The AP reported a month ago that Trump was urging Corker to run again and Joe Scarborough this morning recounted conversations in real time with Corker in which the senator said he didn’t want to be Secretary of State back when he was on those lists.
Trump’s tweets simply gave Corker an occasion and platform for even harsher criticisms than what he had said to this point, and created an incentive for reporters to try to get senators to take sides between him and their colleague. I doubt this means that Corker will necessarily vote against tax reform simply to spite Trump, but it is another distraction and point of tension when the party is having trouble handling the already-existing distractions and tensions.