Flake: Republicans don’t speak out against Trump ‘because they want to keep their jobs’ | TheHill – The Hill

Former Sen. Jeff FlakeJeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeThe Hill's 12:30 Report: House managers to begin opening arguments on day two Flake: Republicans don't speak out against Trump 'because they want to keep their jobs' GOP senator calls CNN reporter a 'liberal hack' when asked about Parnas materials MORE (R-Ariz.) said on Monday that someRepublican senators dont speak out against President TrumpDonald John TrumpTrump says his advice to impeachment defense team is 'just be honest' Trump expands tariffs on steel and aluminum imports CNN's Axelrod says impeachment didn't come up until 80 minutes into focus group MOREs behavior because theyre afraid of how it could affect their chances at the ballot box.

Do you think, senator, that you should have spoken up more? Do you regret that you didnt speak up more? And why is it so difficult for Republicans to speak up against this president when they dont believe what hes doing? host Gayle KingGayle KingWarren fends off questions on Sanders: 'I'm not going there' Flake: Republicans don't speak out against Trump 'because they want to keep their jobs' Lifetime to release sequel to 'Surviving R. Kelly' MORE askedFlakeon "CBS This Morning."

"Its difficult because they want to keep their jobs."@JeffFlake on why he thinks Republicans don't speak out against President Trump. pic.twitter.com/jBpRGWwDnH

Well, because they want to keep their jobs, and the president is extremely popular among Republican primary voters, Flake said. That is a subset of a subset of a subset. But they are those who decide who represents the party and the general election.

Flake, who was very vocal in his criticism of Trump until the Arizona Republican retiredfrom the Senate in 2018, was also pressed about commentshe made last year in an op-ed in which he said that Senate Republicans will also be on trial when the upper chamber takes on Trumps impeachment case.

They are, in a sense, because this president wont be there forever, Flake said. Hell either be gone this time next year or four years from now. Then what happens to the Republican Party?

My fear is people out there know that, even if this is not an impeachable offense, that the president did something wrong and for Republicans to maintain that he didnt is just wrong, he continued. And this has long-term ramifications for the party if we act as if we are just devoted to the president no matter what out of this cult of personality that weve seen. We certainly saw it in the House.

He was also asked about his past criticism of Trump while serving in Congress and whether he wished he would have done things differently then.

You always look back and say I could have done this differently or that, he said.

But I did speak up and I decided that I would have to condone behavior I couldnt condone or accept positions I couldnt accept if I wanted to win reelection. Thats why I didnt," he added.

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Flake: Republicans don't speak out against Trump 'because they want to keep their jobs' | TheHill - The Hill