Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake is under fire after delivering an insulting and unhinged speech on the Senate floor attacking President Trump and comparing him to a dictator.
Flake’s rant was in response to Trump’s criticism of the media but the so-called Republican senator made his remarks in front of a nearly-empty chamber. Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin – a Democrat – was the only senator to remain for Flake’s speech, joining a handful of journalists.
“‘The enemy of the people’ was how the president of the United States called the free press in 2017,” Flake said Wednesday. “Mr. President, it is a testament to the condition of our democracy that our own president uses words infamously spoken by Joseph Stalin to describe his enemies.”
Flake is delivering his speech against Trump fake news attacks to a nearly empty chamber.
Only one senator – Durbin – and fewer than half-a-dozen reporters are present.— Erica Werner (@ericawerner) January 17, 2018
The outgoing senator has been a long-time Trump critic and took to the floor to accuse the president of harboring “pernicious fantasies about rigged elections and voter fraud,” warning Americans that “if we compromise the truth for the sake of our politics, we are lost.”
The backlash against Flake was swift as many felt his comparison of the president of the United States to a mass-murdering Soviet dictator was pushing the limits.
“Comparing the leader of the free world to murderous dictators is absurd,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted. “You’ve gone too far.”
Sen. Flake, turn on the news. It’s wall-to-wall with biased coverage against @POTUS. He has every right to push back. Comparing the leader of the free world to murderous dictators is absurd. You’ve gone too far.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) January 17, 2018
“I found it quite interesting that he is coming out to attack this president considering he’s the one who was recently defending an actually oppressive regime,” White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders commented at the daily press briefing Wednesday. “He went to Cuba a few weeks ago and served as a mouthpiece for the oppressive Cuban government.”
Press Sec. Sanders responds to Sen. Flake criticism of Pres. Trump: “We welcome access to the media every day,” and saying White House is anything but open to the press is “utterly ridiculous.” pic.twitter.com/CEQMa3ktxb
— ABC News (@ABC) January 18, 2018
Former White House deputy adviser Sebastian Gorka slammed Flake as an “embarrassment.”
“It’s shameful. Senator flake is an embarrassment to congress, our great nation, and on behalf of my dead parents and all people like them who actually lived under Stalinist regimes, my father was arrested and tortured as a young anti communist,” Gorka said on Fox Business Network’s “Lou Dobbs Tonight.”
Obstructionist RINO- @SebGorka: Sen. Flake’s attack against President @realDonaldTrump proves he is irrelevant and an embarrassment to Congress and America. @POTUS #MAGA #TrumpTrain #DTS #Dobbs pic.twitter.com/TN3yf1Nrf3
— Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) January 18, 2018
“We demand an apology from this embarrassment of a politician!” Gorka added.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich called the comparison of Trump to Stalin an “absurdity.”
.@newtgingrich: Sen. Jeff Flake comparing President Trump to Stalin is an ‘absurdity’ pic.twitter.com/cXeLhrkqR2
— FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 18, 2018
The criticism of Flake came from all sides, with the likes of anti-Trump MSNBC host Joy-Ann Reid slamming the senator for “fleeing the battlefield” by not seeking re-election.
So leave me off the Flake praise bandwagon. He is a Trumpist, full stop. Just a more polite version.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 17, 2018
And one last thing: if Jeff Flake is our savior, why is he fleeing the battlefield and quitting the Senate, which he points out is there to check the president? I guess his heroism will be confined to fundraising for his 2020 bid, from the same plutocrats who juiced up Trump.
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) January 17, 2018
The fact that Durbin was the only senator to hear out Flake’s rant was also of significance.
Let’s not forget that the Durbin-Graham immig bill is REALLY the Durbin-Flake-Graham bill. Graham buttered up @realDonaldTrump, while Flake compared him to Stalin, and Durbin called him a racist. #BADFAITH #FAIL
— Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) January 18, 2018
“I’ve lost all trust in Durbin,” Trump told Reuters, slamming as “very, very weak” the bipartisan immigration deal presented by Durbin and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. The president blames Durbin for leaking alleged language he used in a meeting on immigration reform last week, with the senator claiming Trump called Haiti and some African nations “sh**hole countries.” The president has denied using the terms.
Many others blasted Flake for his grandstanding speech.
Well Mr Flake, at least from my humble view, your much heralded anti Trump speech on the floor of the Senate was about two cuts below watching paint dry.
— Charlie Daniels (@CharlieDaniels) January 18, 2018
Statement from Kelli Ward to Flake the Fake!?? pic.twitter.com/PFcTfGGCs6
— Cheri Molon Labe III (@CheriJenkins) January 18, 2018
RINO Gone Mad – Clueless Senator Jeff Flake needs a history lesson after delivering unhinged, insulting speech comparing @realDonaldTrump to Joseph Stalin. Join #Dobbs NOW on FBN #MAGA #TrumpTrain
— Lou Dobbs (@LouDobbs) January 18, 2018
Senator Flake’s Sad, Pathetic and Ignorant Speech https://t.co/GK0IxDdBSX pic.twitter.com/zT3I4DsJKb
— Chuck Woolery (@chuckwoolery) January 18, 2018
Go home, Jeff. https://t.co/2mN6iP35jT
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) January 18, 2018
Another Republican Senator folds like paper while cracking like nuts. “Fake Flake”https://t.co/JcBZi0DgWG
— Diamond and Silk® (@DiamondandSilk) January 18, 2018
He is old news. On his way out. Totally irrelevant
— bill morrison (@billmorrison63) January 18, 2018
Prob going to work for CNN
— Diane Lockman (@theonlymarsilea) January 18, 2018
DONATE TO BIZPAC REVIEW
Please help us! If you are fed up with letting radical big tech execs, phony fact-checkers, tyrannical liberals and a lying mainstream media have unprecedented power over your news please consider making a donation to BPR to help us fight them. Now is the time. Truth has never been more critical!
Frieda@bizpacreview.com
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
- ‘Are we next?!’ Kilmeade breaks down shady FBI actions, concludes Trump justified in his outrage - August 30, 2022
- Grandfather throws down with aggressive kangaroo that attacked his dogs, but who really won? - June 4, 2022
- ‘My name is Dr. Robinson’: Proud abortionist snaps at Chip Roy calling her ‘Miss’ during hearing - May 19, 2022
Comment
We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.
