Bob Corker vs. Donald Trump
WASHINGTON D.C. - As the Republicans are trying to push the tax reform they need to get 51 votes. Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican has been very vocal about the tax reform. Trump is leading the legislative agenda item and Bob Corker will play another important part. Corker has emerged as an outspoken advocate against any GOP tax plan that puts the country in a long-term debt, a role he shows no signs of abating.
Corker who is the chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations committee is considered a key leader in the Senate, one who by jurisdiction of his committee and force of personality has put himself in the middle the country's national security debate as well as in the middle of Trump's latest push for tax reform.
This past week Corker and Trump had exchanged words on Twitter. Trump took to Twitter to say Corker wasn't seeking re-election because the President refused to endorse him, a claim that Corker's team argues that it is false. Corker responded taking things a step further “it's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning.” He also said that Trump could be putting the US "on the path to World War III" in a recent interview.
Republicans don't have much room for an error on tax reform. Like the health care repeal, Republicans are using a process known as budget reconciliation to pass tax cuts. This process gives the Senate the chance to pass tax reform with just 51 votes, but the GOP only holds a 52-seat majority in the chamber, meaning leaders can only survive two defections. If Corker says "no" that could undermine Trump's agenda in a big way.
Although Corker had said he supported Trump earlier in the year he didn’t endorse him. Sometime in May Corker had said, “They are in a downward spiral right now and have got to figure out a way to come to grips with all that's happening," about the White House.
The fight between Trump and Corker could hurt and ultimately doom his push to reform the tax code. It has changed people's mind about the tax reform, “The margin for error in the Senate is already perilously slim for tax reform and the president’s comments undoubtedly hurt that push." Others say that Trump is making it worse for himself acting the way he is with Bob Corker. This isn't the first time that Trump attacked a Republican on Twitter during an important legislative push. Senators John McCain, Rand Paul, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins were all targets of Trump's tweets during the GOP's push to repeal and replace Obamacare. Just how Trump’s tweets are affecting the push for the tax reform, his tweets during the health care repeal did change the outcome. The next few weeks we will learn more of what’s going to happen with the tax reform and the battle between Donald Trump and Bob Corker.
