Caught on Hot Mic, Senator Jeff Flake Says GOP is ‘Toast’ if They Become Party of Trump and Moore (Video)

Local Mayor Encourages Presidential Bid

Arizona’s retiring Republican Senator Jeff Flake was caught criticizing his party and its figurehead on hot mic late Friday.

Speaking at a tax reform event in Mesa, Arizona, the Senator was encouraged to run for president in 2020 by the town’s mayor, John Giles. During the conversation, Flake provided his current take on the Republican Party.

“If we become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast,” Flake told Giles, though not privately, as the conversation was picked up by local ABC affiliate KNXV’s hot mic.

“I am not throwing smoke at you, but you are the guy,” Giles responded, apparently encouraging Flake to run for president. “Just for fun, think about how much fun it would be, just to be the foil, you know, and point out what an idiot this guy is. Anyway, I hope you do it.”

Nine women have accused Roy Moore of child rape, child sexual assault, sexual assault of teenaged girls, and aggressively pursuing teenaged girls when he was in his 30’s as a deputy district attorney. Moore has no plans to drop out of his bid for Alabama’s open Senate seat.

Americans learned just over a year ago that Donald Trump bragged about committing sexual assault on “Access Hollywood.”

You can watch ABC’s report on Flake, and his exchange with Giles, below:

In a speech announcing his decision not to seek re-election last month, Senator Flake labeled Trump’s “reckless, outrageous and undignified behavior” as a danger to democracy, though he was also chastised for continuing to support Trump’s agenda.

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