Sen. Bob Corker downplays VP talk after Trump meeting

Sen. Bob Corker met with presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump in New York City on Monday, sparking speculation he is being considered as a potential vice presidential candidate.

Corker was quick to downplay the rumors, saying the meeting was strictly about policy and a chance to get to know each other. The Tennessee Republican, who is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the two discussed Russia and China as well as the 2016 presidential campaign.

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"I have no reason whatsoever to think that I am being considered for a position like that," Corker told reporters as he left Trump Tower. "This was a meeting between two people who didn't know each other except over phone calls, getting to know one another."

Trump has indicated that he would prefer a political veteran as his running mate -- someone to help him "with governing" as opposed to a political asset.

Corker's political profile has sharply risen over the past few years, making him a logical choice of running mate. In 2015 he was named to the TIME 100 list of most influential people, alongside world leaders such as Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin.

Like Trump, Corker has a background in real estate. He was also one of the first senators to publicly back the mogul. Earlier this month he told USA Today he'd be willing to help the brash businessman develop a foreign policy platform. He also later told Trump's detractors to "chill."

A source within the campaign told CNN the vetting process would begin this week, but gave few other details on the search.

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