Former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona says he won’t vote for Trump

PHOENIX — Former U.S. Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona on Tuesday said he won’t vote for President Donald Trump in November’s general election.

Flake told the Washington Post that Trump’s brand of politics isn’t in the best interest for conservatism and the Republican Party in the long term.

The former senator said he would vote for a Democrat in November, something he hasn’t done before.

Flake added that he also didn’t vote for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, instead opting to vote for a third-party candidate.

“Oh, a sound defeat, no doubt,” Flake said about what he wants for Trump in the upcoming election. “Long term for the Republican Party, you bet.”

Flake said he believes Republicans’ blind loyalty to Trump has caused the party to stray away from its core values.

He referenced some perceived advances in conservative policy since Trump’s election — mainly in tax and regulatory reform — but said they come at a cost.

Flake said Republicans are spending too much time trying to stay in Trump’s good graces.

“I don’t know anyone who thinks that this is the future of the party,” Flake said. “This is a demographic cul-de-sac we’re in, if nothing else. Anger and resentment only go so far; you have to have a governing philosophy.”

Flake also spoke about Trump’s campaign rally in Arizona in February, immigration and his viral moment in the elevator during the Brett Kavanaugh hearings in the interview.

Flake served as a senator from 2013 to 2019 and has also served six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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