Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | Politics | October 24, 2017
Arizona Senator Jeff Flake — who has been a harsh critic of Trump since actually before he was elected (one of the very few) — has announced that he will be retiring from the Senate. He was up for re-election next year, and the polls numbers for him were not good, in large part because of his opposition to Trump. Democrats didn’t like him because he’s a Republicans, and too many Republicans didn’t like him because he wasn’t on Team Trump.
In his retirement announcement, Flaked torched Donald Trump from the floor of the Senate.
Jeff Flake: "It is time for our complicity and our accommodation of the unacceptable to end." (via ABC) pic.twitter.com/716SOhCxOv
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 24, 2017
.@JeffFlake: "Why didn't you speak up? What are we going to say? Mr. President, I rise today to say, enough." pic.twitter.com/d9pGcn2Rul
— Axios (@axios) October 24, 2017
Jeff Flake: "We must never meekly accept… the personal attacks, threats against principles, freedoms, and institutions." pic.twitter.com/CP0s5pREQL
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 24, 2017
Flake: “Despotism loves a vacuum and our allies are now looking elsewhere for leadership.”
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) October 24, 2017
Sen. Flake: "There are times when we must risk our careers in favor of our principles. Now is such a time." https://t.co/iibt7ViG7y
— Monica Alba (@albamonica) October 24, 2017
He’s attacking his colleagues in Congress as much as as he is attacking Trump.
… Flake is not attacking Trump. He’s attacking his Republican colleagues for cowardice
— Michael Cohen (@speechboy71) October 24, 2017
Credit where due: Flake’s speech is primarily not about Trump but about his colleagues in congress.
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) October 24, 2017
He is not wrong, and I’d really really like to believe that Flake, Corker, and McCain’s criticism of Trump will mean something. But, you know:
Jeff Flake not running in 2018 clears a path for his main primary challenger, a machine gun firing at a refrigerator full of explosives
— Patrick Monahan (@pattymo) October 24, 2017
If Sen. @JeffFlake and @SenBobCorker are disgusted by Trump, they should consider changing affiliation to IND & caucusing w/ Ds to stop him.
— Only4RM (@Only4RM) October 24, 2017
Somehow Jeff Flake and Bob Corker found a way to love tax cuts but still criticize Trump as a dangerous liar.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) October 24, 2017
But you do you, @PRyan.
Why 👠do 👠GOP 👠senators 👠have 👠to 👠retire 👠in 👠order 👠to 👠condemn👠dangerous 👠behavior ðŸ‘by 👠the 👠president?
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) October 24, 2017
Bannon-world is pleased. An ally of his says he's added "another scalp to his collection as another establishment domino falls."
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) October 24, 2017
This, on the other hand, I do still believe.
Flake: “This spell will eventually break. That is my belief. We will return to ourselves once more. And I say the sooner the better.”
— Phil Mattingly (@Phil_Mattingly) October 24, 2017
I just hope Trump doesn’t end the world before that spell breaks.
If you are a Republican, but not a Trump Republican, I feel for you today.
