Sen. Bob Corker Keeps Up Criticism Of President

NASHVILLE, TN — President Trump needs to stop "seeking to further divide our nation" in order to stimulate and energize his base, Sen. Bob Corker said Friday in Nashville, a day after sharply rebuking the president for failing to show competence and stability in his nearly seven months in the White House.

The Tennessee Republican, who until this week has been hesitant to criticize the president, told reporters after a veterans' event that there are "frustrations internally" at the White House and that Trump hasn't yet "fully embraced what it is that makes our nation great." (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.)

"The things that I say I say hopefully to influence him and influence the people around him. ... We are at a point in our nation where bringing out the best people in our nation, the best in our country is where we need to be, not seeking to further divide our nation in order to stimulate your base, energize your base," Corker, the chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee, said. "That's not where our president needs to be."

Watch: Corker: Trump Hasn't Shown Stability, Competence

Corker said that while he speaks frequently and "warmly" with Trump, speculating that he speaks more often with the president than any other member of the Senate, the two haven't spoken since Corker told reporters in Chattanooga Thursday that the president "has not yet been able to demonstrate the stability nor some of the competence that he needs to demonstrate in order to be successful."

Corker's phone rang during the gaggle and he noted his phone number had been posted on the internet and now he's getting "calls from places I usually don't get calls from."

The president has drawn sharp criticism since blaming "both sides" for the violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where a 32-year-old woman died after she was hit by a car driven by an alleged white supremacist who is now charged with murder.

Until Thursday, however, much of that criticism came from Democrats or from Republicans, like Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse or South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, who have been consistently critical of Trump for months. Corker, on the other hand, is regarded as one of Trump's top Senate allies and was "in the mix" to be nominated as Secretary of State.

"The events of this week ... it was evident he has not yet fully embraced what it is that's made our nation great and not been able to step up and speak to the issues in an appropriate way," Corker said Friday.

Watch Corker speak to reporters in Nashville Friday

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File