Trump's foreign policy showing signs of flexibility: Senator

Donald Trump's foreign policy is showing signs of flexibility and realism, a top Republican Senator said today offering to help develop a foreign policy platform for the presumptive presidential nominee.
"I saw in his foreign policy speech last week and a very important step forward, and what I think he's saying is that he's going to embrace foreign policy much like Bush 41 did," Senator Bob Corker, Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, told MSNBC in an interview.
"Much like people like former Secretary of State James Baker, where there's a degree of realism in our foreign policy that we obviously understand how the world is. Certainly, I believe in American exceptionalism. But at the same time, there are limits. And I think that is a mature way for us to look at foreign policy," Corker said.

The Republican Senator, who has put a hold on Obama administration's proposal to sell eight F-16 jets to Pakistan with a significant American taxpayers' money, was appreciative of Trump's foreign policy speech last week.
"I do look forward to talking with him more fully about it and other issues like our indebtedness and economic growth and those kinds of things. But that's the place we should be. Certainly the 'establishment' is not going to hijack this campaign," he said.
"He's his own person. But to be able to give input and to develop it is an important phase for us now. The third phase will kick in after the convention. But let's - let's work with what has - what has occurred. We've got someone that people believe in and let's help develop - let's help develop those policies," Corker said in his interview.

Globalisation, he observed, is here to stay.

"I mean, every person who is deal with an iPhone on a daily basis is involved in globalisation. It's here. And trade pacts are there to set the rules of the road," he said.
"Obviously, there are going to be trade pacts that we're going to need to enter into, certainly as we mention, China is pushing people our way and we need to figure out a way in that part of the world to more fully engage them economically in a way that benefits Americans and benefits our national security interest," he said.

Corker said he is getting the sense that this campaign is in a phase where they are more fully developing policies.
"I have seen some flexibility already. There's some flexibility there. Sometimes, when people are out running, they think things are a certain way and then they get additional information and they realize maybe there's a little different way of getting to the same place, but let's add some nuance to it," he noted.
"When the general election begins, if people are not happy, they may make other choices, but let's let this play out. Let's chill. Let's not be making demonstrative statements about where we are, until we fully see what the contrast is going to be between these two candidates," Corker said.