Sens. Corker, Alexander defend Mitch McConnell’s leadership amid criticism from Trump

Aug. 11--WASHINGTON -- Sens. Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander defended Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Friday in the face of a torrent of criticism hurled at the Kentucky Republican by President Donald Trump.

In remarks posted on Twitter, the two Tennesseans praised McConnell's leadership on health care reform and other issues.

"From health care to tax reform to infrastructure, tough issues to tackle this fall and none better than @SenateMajLdr to get a good outcome," wrote Corker, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Alexander, chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, mounted a similar defense of McConnell in a pair of tweets posted Friday.

"If the President wants results in the nation's most important institution for creating consensus on tough issues...," Alexander wrote, "@SenateMajLdr is the most effective Republican leader to work with to do that."

Trump has hammered McConnell in a series of tweets this week and at a news conference on Thursday, blaming the GOP leader for the Senate's failure to pass a bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

"Mitch, get back to work and put Repeal & Replace, Tax Reform & Cuts and a great Infrastructure Bill on my desk for signing. You can do it!" he tweeted on Thursday.

Later that day, Trump was asked at news conference if McConnell should consider stepping down.

"If he doesn't get repeal and replace done and if he doesn't get taxes done, meaning cuts and reform, and if he doesn't get a very easy one to get done -- infrastructure," Trump said. "If he doesn't get them done, then you can ask me that question."

Several top Republicans have come to McConnell's defense.

___

(c)2017 The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.)

Visit The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.) at www.commercialappeal.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.