Trump, Corker trade insults ahead of key meeting

WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump reignited a feud with Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., Tuesday morning just hours before a critical caucus meeting on tax reform. Corker started the battle in a Tuesday morning interview on NBC’s Today, during which he dished out a series of Trump criticisms. He accused the president of “kneecapping” efforts to deescalate tension in North Korea and urged him to “step aside” and let the Senate do its job crafting tax reform legislation. Trump quickly fired back. “Bob Corker, who helped President O give us the bad Iran Deal & couldn’t get elected dog catcher in Tennessee, is now fighting Tax Cuts,” Trump tweeted. “Corker dropped out of the race in [Tennessee] when I refused to endorse him, and now is only negative on anything Trump. Look at his record!” Corker called Trump untruthful and said the president needs to be in day care. Later Tuesday, Trump will attend Senate Republicans’ weekly luncheon on Capitol Hill to discuss a way forward on the tax reform package. Republicans want to forge ahead with a rewrite of the U.S. tax code before the end of the year. The GOP can only lose two votes from its own ranks and still pass a bill. Corker announced last month he would not seek reelection in 2018 and said he looked forward to finishing his term with independence.