Senator says he will quit… and attacks Trump
A REPUBLICAN senator dramatically announced that he would not seek re-election last night and eviscerated President Donald Trump’s behaviour in the White House.
Jeff Flake attacked the Mr Trump’s “reckless, outrageous and undignified” actions as a “danger to democracy” in an impassioned speech on the Senate floor The senator from Arizona criticised Mr Trump for “glorying in the things that divide us and calling fake things true and true things fake”. And he urged other Republican congressmen to speak out, telling the White House: “Mr President, I will not be complicit or silent.”
The speech amounted to the strongest attack on Mr Trump from a sitting member of his own party and came just hours after another Republican senator made public criticisms. The senator, Bob Corker, repeatedly attacked the president’s record in office.
Mr Corker said world leaders believe Mr Trump often makes “untrue” statements and said his presidency would be remembered for the “debasement” of the country.
He said that Mr Trump’s “constant non-truth telling” means he is lowering the office of the presidency and failing to be a role model for children.
Mr Flake’s decision not to run for re-election next year is a victory for Steve Bannon, Mr Trump’s former senior adviser, who is seeking to oust incumbent senators.
However, his stronglyworded assault on both Mr Trump’s agenda and his behaviour since entering the White House nine months ago is a blow for the president. “We must stop pretending that the degradation of our politics and the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal,” Mr Flake said.
“They are not normal. Reckless, outrageous and undignified behaviour has become excused and countenanced as ‘tell it like it is’ when it is actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified.”