Sen. Bob Corker Declined Trump’s Offer to Be Ambassador to Australia

The Trump administration offered Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) the job of U.S. ambassador to Australia, but the senator declined the offer. In an interview with The Tennessean, Corker, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said “it just felt like it wasn’t the right step.” Corker said he talked with both President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about the job, but “shared with them there may very well be some other task down the road that they may need me to tackle on behalf of our country.” Corker’s relationship with Trump, which was positive during the presidential campaign, soured last year after the pair was locked in a bitter feud. Trump and Corker—who once said the White House was an adult day care center—have since reconciled, and they speak frequently.