Bob Corker as secretary of state?
NASHVILLE — U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he spoke Wednesday with President-elect Donald Trump and running mate Mike Pence, but he emphasized they did not discuss the possibility of the Chattanoogan becoming eligible for a Cabinet post.
“I know my name’s being bandied about a little bit,” said Corker, who as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee gave Trump advice during the presidential race. At the time, he publicly acknowledged interest in a job as secretary of state in a Trump administration.
The former Chattanooga mayor spoke with Trump following an upset victory Tuesday over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
“Again, they [Trump and Pence] have a group of people working on both ends of things,” Corker said. “It’s way too early for me to have any knowledge of what it is they’re seeking regarding the key positions that have to be put together.”
Corker evaded a question about whether he
would be interested, saying, “Well look, I mean, conjecture is bad for your health. Responding to conjecture is bad for your health.”
Meanwhile, Republican Gov. Bill Haslam, who would be responsible for naming Corker’s replacement if the senator resigns his seat to join the Trump administration, said earlier Wednesday he is getting flooded with calls and contacts from people about the potential vacancy.
“That’s jumping to a lot of conclusions, obviously,” Haslam told reporters. “I’ll say this: The country would be well-served to have Senator Corker in a nationwide role. No. 2, I haven’t started down that path because there’s a lot of ifs in there.
“No. 3, just as a funny aside,” Haslam added, smiling, “I have started getting a lot of calls and emails about the position.”
Asked who had contacted him, Haslam replied, “It’s 25 people.”
As for whether he might appoint himself to any would-be vacancy, the governor said, “I don’t think I would do it for myself.”
In the event there were a vacancy, Haslam said, there’s two routes.
“You can pick somebody who’s clearly going to be a caretaker and say, ‘I’m going to do it for two years until the election with no intention of running.’ Or, somebody that thinks they might do it longer-term,” he said. “I haven’t crossed that bridge. I probably would lean more toward somebody who’s going to be a caretaker.”
Corker dryly noted the governor had spoken with him about the contacts and that he planned to tell reporters.
While Tennessee is buzzing about a potential Corker selection as secretary of state, NBC, citing unnamed sources, said former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., was being considered for the post. Trump is interested in loyalists and Gingrich served the nominee well in an attack role.
Asked about Gingrich being considered, Corker said, “I really have no idea, I don’t. I just would have no way of knowing when these stories come out about who they’re looking at. I know they [Trump transition team officials] are beginning to look at those things.”
“We have no idea at present who they have on their list,” Corker said. “Again, I know our name has been bandied around some. But we just have no knowledge of what is real or what isn’t real, who’s being considered for what position.”
After Trump won the GOP nomination this summer, Corker was under consideration as the then-presumed nominee’s vice presidential running mate. But he announced he was withdrawing his name from consideration, saying he didn’t feel suited for the demands on the running mate.
Corker said “the only thing that’s in front of me at the present is the role I play on the Foreign Relations Committee, and we’ll be working on agenda items,” as well as banking, economic issues, the nation’s financial shape and other areas in which he is interested.