Senior Republican says Trump 'debasing' US

The ongoing feud between Senator Bob Corker and Donald Trump exploded into public after the former accused the US President of "debasing" the country and if given the opportunity again, he would not support him again.

Trump attended a lunch at the Capitol Hill with lawmakers to unify Republicans to rally around tax reform, but the war of words between Trump and Corker overshadowed the meeting.

According to CNN, the President had earlier accused Corker, who is retiring, of blocking his party's efforts on tax cuts.

Corker said he "would not do that again (back Trump's presidential campaign)."

He also said Trump has "great difficulty with the truth" and that "debasing" the US would be his prime legacy as President, adding that Trump has "proven himself unable to rise to the occasion."

"I think many of us, me included, have tried to, you know, intervene, and I have had a private dinner and have been with him on multiple occasions to try and create some kind of aspirational approach, if you will, to the way that he conducts himself," Corker was quoted as saying.

"I don't think that that's possible. He's obviously not going to rise to the occasion as president."

Asked if he thought the President was a role model for children, Corker, the chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, said, "No, absolutely not."

"I think the things that are happening right now that are harmful to our nation, whether it's the breaking down of -- we are going to be doing hearings on some of the things that he purposely is breaking down -- relationships we have around the world that have been useful to our nation," he said.

"But I think at the end of the day, when his term is over, I think the debasing of our nation, the constant non-truth telling, just the name-calling ... I think the debasement of our nation will be what he'll be remembered most for, and that's regretful."

After the interview, Trump on Twitter called Corker "the incompetent head of the foreign relations committee", to which Corker replied saying "everybody sees through" Trump's "bullying."

Trump also tweeted, "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.... Corker dropped out of the race in Tennesse when I refused to endorse him, and now is only negative on anything Trump. Look at his record!"

After half an hour later, Corker respoded, "Same untruths from an utterly untruthful president. #AlertTheDaycareStaff".

--IANS

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