.@JeffFlake's candidness further exposes the toxic civil war within the @AZGOP. This intraparty battle has created an ineffective, partisan discord that has Arizonans fed up with Washington. #AZSen https://t.co/vkVTx6TNoe
— AZ Democratic Party (@AZDemParty) November 18, 2017
Via ABC 15:
Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said his own party could be “toast” while attending a Friday town hall event in Mesa, making reference to Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore and President Donald Trump.
Flake was hosting the event at aerospace company GECO, fielding questions from employees about the tax reform bill currently in Congress.
He also took a question from Mesa Mayor John Giles about possibly running for president in 2020 against Donald Trump.
After the hour-long discussion ended, Flake stepped off the stage and into the audience. That’s when Giles walked up to the senator.
Flake was still wearing a microphone on his lapel, and while sound to the speakers had been muted, the audio feed continued to TV cameras at the back of the room.
“…[if we] become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump, we are toast,” Flake said.
ABC15’s camera began to roll mid-sentence, and Flake’s office told us the senator used the word “if we” before our cameras started.
The video does not prove this either way, but the original version of this story did not include Flake’s recollection.
“And I am not throwing smoke at you, but you are the guy,” Giles responded. “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 [Trump] is.”