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Former Tennessee U.S. Sen. Corker reflects on time with Henry Kissinger

Chairman Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) boards an elevator after a hearing where the Senate Foreign Relations Committee heard from the departments of the State and Treasury about U.S. and Russia relations, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Aug. 21, 2018. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)
Chairman Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) boards an elevator after a hearing where the Senate Foreign Relations Committee heard from the departments of the State and Treasury about U.S. and Russia relations, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Aug. 21, 2018. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times) Chairman Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) boards an elevator after a hearing where the Senate Foreign Relations Committee heard from the departments of the State and Treasury about U.S. and Russia relations, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Aug. 21, 2018. (Erin Schaff/The New York Times)

By Elizabeth Fite 5 min read


Former Chattanooga Mayor and U.S. Sen. Bob Corker is among the statesmen who cherished their relationship with Henry Kissinger, Corker said, as he reflected on his time spent with the former secretary of state.

Kissinger died Wednesday and is best known for his “uncommon influence on global affairs under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, earning both vilification and the Nobel Peace Prize,” according to The Associated Press.

Corker doesn’t recall first meeting Kissinger but said in a phone interview that their relationship grew when Corker was in the Senate, where he served as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from 2015 to 2019.

During that time, Corker participated in many forums with Kissinger alongside the nation’s foreign policy leaders. On occasion, Corker would take an early morning train from D.C. to have breakfast with Kissinger in New York, he said.