‘Reckless’ Trump lambasted

CRACKS: ONE SENATOR RESIGNS AND ANOTHER LAUNCHES SCATHING ATTACK ON PRESIDENT

‘We must stop pretending that the degradation of politics is normal.’

Washington

Donald Trump’s attempt to build bridges in his own party blew up spectacularly this week as one senator announced he is quitting Congress and another attacked the president for debasing the country.

Senator Jeff Flake assailed Trump in a bombshell 17-minute floor speech that sounded like a distress call warning of a “reckless presidency”, just minutes after Trump made a rare foray to Congress to dine with Republican senators.

Flake’s surprise announcement came hours after a Republican colleague, Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee, reignited his war of words with Trump, calling him an “utterly untruthful” leader who “debases” the nation.

The extraordinary developments on Capitol Hill only deepened the tensions between Trump and his party, some of whose establishment members have grown increasingly concerned about his coarse and combative style of governing.

Flake, an establishment conservative who has served in the Senate since 2013 and has been an outspoken critic of Trump-era politics, displayed visible emotion as he announced he would not seek re-election next year.

“The personal attacks, the threats against principles, freedoms and institutions, the flagrant disregard for truth and decency ... none of these appalling features of our current politics should ever be regarded as normal,” said the 54-year-old Arizona Republican.

“We must stop pretending that the degradation of politics and the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal,” Flake warned.

“Reckless, outrageous and undignified behaviour is excused as telling it like it is, when it’s actually just reckless, outrageous and undignified.” –