Posted on 09/02/2016 2:58:02 PM PDT by Hildy
BULLHEAD CITY — Arizona U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake says he still has issues with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and is unlikely to vote for him.
Flake, in Bullhead City on Wednesday, gave an exclusive interview to the Mohave Valley Daily News. “I’m not part of the ‘never Trump’ movement. I want to be able to vote for him, but I can’t see myself doing that, unless he changes the positions he’s taken and the language he’s used,” Flake said. “I don’t think he can win the presidency and if he doesn’t change the way he’s campaigned, I don’t think he should.” Flake said he strongly disagrees with Trump’s positions on trade. Flake said he supports the North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump calls “the worst trade deal in history.”
Flake said he also favors the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, which Trump has said will hurt American workers.
Flake said he supports accepting refugees from war-torn Mideast countries if properly vetted, while Trump has said the program of accepting Syrian refugees should be suspended.
Republicans who are not supporting Trump — or who are reluctant to — are facing sharp criticism from Trump supporters who said those Republicans are helping to defeat Trump.
Flake disagrees.
“I say exactly what I said to Donald Trump himself ... every Republican in Arizona could line up behind him and unify and it wouldn’t be enough,” he said. “We’ve got to persuade swing voters, independents, who, until a couple of months ago, outnumbered Republicans in the state. And he seems to be going out of his way to offend just about every swing voter out there. “ “And I see much more damage done to the (Republican) party and to the conservative movement by unifying, if you will, behind that intolerant message that he has that will impact not just this election but future elections as well.”
During the primary season, Flake favored presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida.
“I think if Marco was on the ballot now, we’d be running away with it. Hillary Clinton, her unpopularity is hitting new highs if it weren’t for Donald Trump. I’m really chagrined,” Flake said. “With Trump, I think those of us in the Republican Party who think he ought to run differently, we ought to tell him so. He’s unlikely to change if we’re telling him, ‘You’ve got to change.’ He’s certain not to change if we all say, ‘We’re behind you. We agree with you,’ ” Flake said.
Flake said he is especially concerned about polls that show younger voters overwhelmingly favor Clinton over Trump.
“Put another way, only one in five voters under age 35 is planning to pull the Republican lever and we consign ourselves to oblivion as a party if we latch onto that Trump message that is just repulsive to most young people. People will sometimes break their pattern of voting in later years but in general people tend to stick with how they first vote. That’s really death to us as a party,” Flake said.
Asked whether or not he thinks the Republican Party can maintain its control over the Senate, Flake quoted analysts who have said if the election were held today, the Democrats have a 60 percent chance of taking the Senate. Republicans hold 54 seats in the 100-seat chamber, but their seats in at least six states are vulnerable.
“So, I’m glad the election isn’t today. And I would expect a lot of Republicans, between now and November, will distance themselves from Donald Trump,” Flake said. “You’ll see a lot of advertising kind of in the name of checks and balances: You’re going to have a Democrat in the White House, you’ve got to have a Republican Senate to check that. That’s what we did in ‘96 when Dole was the candidate (running against President Bill Clinton). Everybody knew that he probably wasn’t going to win ... and we picked up three seats in the Senate that year. So I do think that we can maintain (a majority) but if we all adopt the Trumpian message I think we’ve lost hope,” he said.
Flake said he does not believe the Republican control of the House of Representatives is in jeopardy but he does think the party will lose some House seats. Regarding whether he will vote for Trump, Flake said, “I hope to be able to, but I’m losing hope that he’s going to change.”
Flake is serving in his first term as senator. He faces re-election in 2018.
Flake how appropriate
“Not even finished with his first term, and he has already learned to kowtow and grovel at the feet of his elitist masters.”
He might be doing it willingly but on the other hand he might be forced to. There’s a lot of blackmail that goes on in politics.
“You realize McCain was just re-elected by these same AZ voters, right? RIGHT?! Your faith in the AZ voters is sorely misplaced.”
You realize an extremely powerful senator with a ton of cash got less than 52% of the primary vote, right? You realize “independents” in Arizona, by law, can vote in primaries that do not involve the office of President.
I’m not saying it will be EASY to replace Flake. But it is a smaller challenge than beating McCain.
Flake prefers Hillary.
Tells you everything you need to know.
What REPUBLICAN could possibly think that they can get a better deal out of a Clinton presidency than the would from a Trump presidency?
Is it irony or coincidence that his name is Flake? I always get those confused.
Ah. But what you can see is yourself resigning if Hitlery’s minions leak your FIB files.
With no rule of law, the O'muslim brotherhood regime has the entire U.S. treasury at their disposal. If they can send 400 million in foreign currency on a unmarked plane to terrorist Iran, they can buy off more than a few senators.
I'm not an AZ citizen, but I CAN contribute to any primary challenger that might show up...
Flake is not part of the solution. He is part of the PROBLEM. #NOFLAKE....ever. He's a bought and paid for open borders useful idiot, with the emphasis on IDIOT!
Makes one think that a lot of money floats around Arizona, doesn't it?
The illegal invasion brings all sorts of crime.
Well, then. Go ahead and vote for Hillary, sleazy Democrat that you are.
Wtf is in the Arizona water that they elect these buttheads?
Trump is offending swing voters so much he’s up in IA, WI, MI, NH and ME.
Flake is an idiot who lives and dies by the polls.
Well the polls are telling us given a reason, the American people want Trump as President.
But that’s beneath his notice. He should come of his ivory tower in Washington and see the real America.
BTW The argument for voting for Romney was, as objectionable as he was, if you don’t vote for him its as good as voting for obama.
I guess they are saying Trump is more objectionable than hillary???
Phonies and sell outs.
“Most Mormons are teaming against Trump. I will not be voting for another Mormon in any political race.”
And I thought they were supposed to be conservative.
This Arizonan will never vote for Flake ever again. I regret not voting for Dr. Carmona when he ran against Flake. I didn’t like Flake then but did it for a Republican Senate seat. I will hold my nose and vote for whoever the democrats put up if the GOP doesn’t wise up and primary him out. I feel the same about McLame and am sick Kelli Ward didn’t win the primary.
Lives up to his name
It’s interesting, isn’t it? Arizona votes for illegals by voting for the wrong candidates. And yes, lots of money floating around - sort of like dead bodies of the victims of illegals!
bupkiss
Arizona....pffffft.
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