The battle for the soul of the GOP continues to rage. Senator Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) continues to be at the forefront of that battle, as he appeared at a rally in Mesa, Arizona on Saturday. Speaking a little bit too close to a microphone that was still on, told Mesa Mayor John Giles that the Republican Party was “toast” if they became the party of President Donald Trump and embattled candidate for an Alabama Senate seat Roy Moore.
Flake is no stranger to speaking out against the direction his party is headed. Earlier this year, he penned a book citing his issues with Trump politics. He gave an impassioned speech about his fears about the direction the party is headed when announcing that he would not be running for reelection.
Take this rebellious spirit with a grain of salt: Flake was a long shot to even get out of a reelection primary, much less win his seat back.
After speaking to a crowd in Mesa, Flake stepped aside with Giles, and a reporter’s microphone picked up Flake saying this:
“[If we] become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast.”
The microphone picks up Flake’s comments mid-sentence, but he later clarified to the station that he led with “if we.”
Flake has no qualms with being outspoken, and affirmed his comments on Twitter, writing:
No news here. I've been saying this to anyone who will listen https://t.co/50klmeSm5a
— Jeff Flake (@JeffFlake) November 18, 2017
Many GOP lawmakers have had to toe a fine line with President Trump: his despicable behavior and general cluelessness about his job tend to drive people away, but fear of his fervent supporters withdrawing support generally keep lawmakers in line.
Roy Moore, who has been accused of serial misconduct with underage girls, is a bit of a different story. Nearly all of Washington DC, including Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have called for Moore to withdraw from the Alabama Senate race. Moore continues to proclaim his innocence and is currently polling behind his Democrat opponent, Doug Jones.
Watch Flake’s comments below:
Featured image via Flickr user Gage Skidmore / CC BY-SA 2.0.
