WH: Flake retirement ‘a good move’

by Jordan Fabian - 10/24/17 4:06 PM ET

President Trump’s top spokeswoman said Tuesday it’s a “good move” for GOP Sen. Jeff Flake (Ariz.) to not seek reelection.

“Based on [his] previous statements, and certainly based on the lack of support he has from the people of Arizona, it’s probably a good move,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters.

Sanders derided Flake’s speech as “petty,” saying his “attacks” on the president were “not befitting of the Senate floor.”

She spoke after Flake delivered a blistering rebuke of Trump during a speech on the Senate floor announcing his retirement.

In a CNN interview following the White House briefing, Flake said he had “no response at all” to Sanders’ comments. {mosads}

The Arizona senator spoke out soon after Trump attended a so-called unity luncheon with Senate Republicans on Capitol Hill, where he pushed them to get behind a tax overhaul.

But Tuesday’s events made it clear the GOP remains a deeply divided party. Before the lunch, GOP Sen. Bob Corker (Tenn.) accused Trump of “debasing the country” with his erratic behavior and penchant to tell untruths.

Sanders pushed back against Corker, who also is not seeking reelection, saying he is “trying to get a headline or two on his way out the door.”

“I think the people in Tennessee and Arizona supported this president,” the spokeswoman said. “I don’t think that the numbers are in the favor of either of those two senators in their states. So this is probably the right decision.”

Jonathan Easley contributed

Tags Bob Corker Jeff Flake