Bob Corker is reportedly in consideration for Donald Trump’s vice president. (Getty)
During an event in Raleigh, North Carolina this evening, Senator Bob Corker, a potential candidate for vice president, offered his praise for Donald Trump.
Corker, who has reportedly been formally vetted for the position of vice president, said that he spent most of the day with Trump and his family and learned a lot about the Republican presidential candidate. He seemed to imply that Trump is more respectful and less brash than he appears on television.
“So many times during these campaigns, people become caricatures of what the media makes them,” Corker said. “And all too often, after a race is over, people realize they never really knew the person.”
A few weeks ago, Corker critiqued Trump a bit and said that the candidate would have to shift focus if he hoped to succeed against Hillary Clinton in November.
“They’ve moved beyond the primary process this week to move to the World Series of this election,” Sen. Corker said. “I think that he’s going to have to change. I’m not talking about him necessarily changing his views, but I think that he’s moving into a different phase, he’s talking to the right people.”
Corker only spoke for a few moments at the North Carolina rally, but he concluded by saying that he now realizes why Trump’s supporters like him so much, reflecting the “I’m With You” phrasing Trump has adopted during the past few weeks.
“I figured out the reason you love him so much…is because he loves you,” Corker said. “He loves you, and he wants the best for you.”
According to The Washington Post, Corker has emerged as a finalist in Trump’s VP search. The two held a meeting at Trump Tower in New York on Tuesday morning before traveling down to North Carolina together. Corker, who heads the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, previously met with Trump at his New York office in May.
A source close to Corker told The Washington Post that the relationship between he and Trump is “natural and strong even if they aren’t the closest of friends”; the source also said that he and Trump share similar views on foreign policy.