WASHINGTON _ Sen. Charles E. Grassley told both retiring Sen. Bob Corker and President Donald Trump to ease up on their feud.
Grassley said he didn't see how the conflict between the two Republicans was productive, "And I think it would help if the president would be the first to cool it," the Iowa Republican told The Associated Press, which attempted to contact all 52 Republican senators for their take on the war of words.
"I think it would be better if we stuck to the issues and leave personalities out of it," Grassley said.
Other senators demurred when asked about Corker's comments, the AP reported. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell gave a dismissive statement when asked about it in his home state of Kentucky.
"Sen. Corker is a valuable member of the Senate Republican caucus and he's also on the Budget Committee and a particularly important player as we move to the floor on the budget next week," McConnell said.
Grassley's admonition comes after Trump tweeted on Sunday that Corker "begged" the president to endorse him for re-election but that he declined, and that led to Corker announcing he would retire.
In response, Corker tweeted that it was "a shame" that the White House had devolved into "an adult day care center," and said "somebody obviously missed their shift this morning."
Corker, who is chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, continued his invective against the president in a New York Times interview saying that Trump's recklessness could set the U.S. "on the path to World War III."
