NASHVILLE - U.S. Sen. Bob Corker on Friday praised Donald Trump's selection of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as the presumptive GOP nominee's running mate.
"I think he's a great choice," the Tennessee Republican said. "He served in Congress for a number of years, has been a governor and has those executive skills.
"When people think about a VP decision they say, 'Is this person capable of being president if something happens?" Corker said. "He is very capable of doing that. I'm very happy for Pence, and I think he is really excited about this."
This image released Friday, July 15, 2016, by the Donald J. Trump for President campaign shows the new campaign logo for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate Indiana Gov. Mike Pence. It features an interlaced blue "T" and "P" next to red stripes that evoke the American flag. (Donald J. Trump for President via AP) Corker, a former Chattanooga mayor, was under consideration by Trump but withdrew his name July 6, saying he felt unsuited to the role. His comments Friday came after a speech to the National Association of Secretaries of State.
He also said he won't deliver a speech at the Republican National Convention that begins Monday in Cleveland.
"To get up in front of a scrillion people, none of whom are listening to you, and deliver a telepromptered speech is probably not my best use of time," said Corker, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. "I am very involved. We have ambassadors from all over the world that are going to be there. I'm speaking to them. I'm speaking to numbers of groups."
Regarding Trump, Corker called it an "honor to have had the opportunity to get to know someone who had overwhelmingly won the Republican primary."
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