Corker says Trump went 'far too far' in Obama, ISIS statements

Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump went “far too far” in statements claiming President Barack Obama founded ISIS, U.S. Sen. Bob Corker said during a visit to Williamson County on Thursday.

Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was unfamiliar with the comments, but responded to questions about Trump's latest remarks, made at a rally in Florida and repeated during a radio interview Thursday.

“This has been a very unusual election,” Corker said. “And regardless of whether the candidate on my side of the aisle says things that I disagree with or not, if you ask me, I’m going to share my disagreement on certain things and my agreement on certain things. But to say that an elected official in our country founded a terrorist organization like ISIS is taking the facts that took place in 2011 and carrying that far too far.”

At a rally Wednesday Trump said Obama founded ISIS. He doubled down on the comments during a Thursday morning radio interview, calling Obama the "most valuable player" of the terrorist organization.

Corker, R-Tenn., first said he believed Trump may have been referring to the vacuum caused by the decision to remove troops from Iraq in 2011 and the unrest after Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi was deposed the same year. He said Republicans and Democrats agree that these actions have allowed ISIS to flourish in the Middle East.

The former Chattanooga mayor was one of the first prominent Republicans to praise an early foreign policy speech from Trump. That led to Corker nearly joining Trump on the presidential ticket; Corker later bowed out of consideration, saying he would be better suited for a cabinet position. He has also criticized some Trump comments, including Trump's statements about the heritage of a judge hearing a case involving Trump University and the bombastic businessman's remarks in the wake of the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando.

Corker did not approve of Trump’s recent comment that “2nd Amendment people” could stop Hillary Clinton as president from appointing anti-gun judges, saying Trump's words “had no place in public discourse.”

Many believe Trump was suggesting gun violence, but Trump has said he meant gun rights supporters are numerous and have the ability to fight Clinton with their vote.

Despite the growing consternation among some Republicans about Trump and dipping poll numbers, Corker said Thursday that he will stand by his position to support the Republican nominee.

But Corker did postulate about what he would do differently if he were atop the GOP ticket.

“If I were running for president, I would stay away from personality issues, and I would stick to the policy issues that are going to affect people’s lives in a positive way,” he said. “I would not miss an opportunity every day to talk about how I’m going to affect people’s economic lives better. Secondly, I would focus on the role of the US in the world, and how it’s going to affect people’s economic and personal security.”

Corker would not comment directly on either of the two presidential candidates’ standing globally, but said the election is affecting people around the world.

“They watch and hear some degree of isolation creeping in that raises concerns,” he said.

Corker spoke after his address to a banquet hall full of farmers and rural community insurance providers at the Tennessee Farm Bureau President’s Conference in the Franklin Marriott Cool Springs in Williamson County.

During the event Corker talked about the importance of farming, international trade agreements and the role the United States plays overseas.

Reporter Jordan Buie can be reached at jbuie@tennessean.com or on Twitter @jordanbuie