Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) is once again on the anti-Trump circuit in his homeland of Mesa, Arizona, grousing about the president as often as he inhales a breath. On a hot mic (still live, Einstein) after speaking at a tax reform event, Flake warned the city’s mayor, “if we become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast."
Or maybe, Flake wanted to whine like a petulant child and applied the ruse of not realizing he was recording to pout publicly.
John Giles, the above-referenced mayor, is a long-time friend of Flake’s and shares his GOP views to a T. Both men were born into devout Mormon families, remain stalwart believers in the faith, are Brigham Young University graduates, and religiously conservative in political ideology—yep, two peas in a pod.
Seemingly pandering to his ego, Giles egged the Senator on with this disrespectful retort:
“I am not throwing smoke at you, but you are the guy — just for fun, think about how much fun it would be — just to be the foil, you know, and point out what an idiot this guy is," Giles says, apparently referring to Trump. "Anyway, I hope you do it."
With their wonderful upbringing, who would have thought their parents forgot to school these two on basic manners? And just a quick tidbit for Giles; Steve Bannon is just looking for a reason, not that he needs one. And the president himself has very publically announced that Flake's career is now, officially, "Toast!"
Flake Takes His Toys and Goes Home
Flake's resistance to Trump's agenda culminated in a white flag surrender in October as he announced on the Senate floor that he could not abide by the GOP if Trump was at the helm:
"It is clear at this moment that a traditional conservative who believes in limited government and free markets, who is devoted to free trade, and who is pro-immigration, has a narrower and narrower path to nomination in the Republican party — the party that for so long has defined itself by belief in those things."
It looked good on television, but was it simply a save face move? His polling numbers had declined to unelectable proportions and were continuing to slide downward, making the field open to almost any challenger.
The armchair political operatives lurking on social media smelled a "running for president speech" prompting the media to peer into every word and nuance Flake uttered. But a man that can't win his current seat will not get traction for a presidential run.
Not Worth His Effort
Flake has allowed his hate for Trump to overwhelm his sworn duty as a member of Congress to do the work of the people. And seeing the writing on the wall, bailed out of what his people sent him to Washington to accomplish.
Make no mistake; his people are the same people who contributed to electing Trump. And if he wanted to make a difference for those who sent him to the Swamp, he should've stayed and fought for their beliefs; not his own hurt feelings.
Flake can mope around, garner sympathy from friends and family, and rail at President Trump until he recedes into the annals of former elected officials. It won't change the fact that the people have spoken, and Flake wasn't going to make the team.
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