What’s happening inside the Republican party these days? Evan though the GOP controls the executive and legislative branches, there is an odd fracture taking place. President Trump has escalated his attacks on sitting Republicans in Congress. Meanwhile, certain high-profile GOP senators have announced their retirement. It is indeed a strange time in Washington.
Senator Flake’s Burning Criticism of Trump
This week, Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) announced on the Senate floor in dramatic fashion that he would not seek reelection in 2018. He delivered strong remarks that seemed to be a direct rebuke of President Trump’s politics. The President has “a flagrant disregard for truth and decency,” Flake thundered. He touted the post-WWII global order that the U.S. has led. But he acknowledged that western world leaders seem to be abandoning the rules and values that made them great. “Despotism loves a vacuum and our allies are now looking elsewhere for leadership. Why are they doing this? None of this is normal,” Flake said.