President Donald Trump, repeatedly rebuking Republicans who failed to get behind him and his administration, took a bow Wednesday for the retirement of Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz.
"In Jeff Flake's case, it's me – I retired him," President Trump said when asked who was at fault for the mass retirements of establishment Republicans. "I'm very proud of it. I did the country a great service."
President Trump has faced frequently criticism from Arizona Republican senators, the late John McCain and Flake.
President Trump continued to rip Flake:"He is retired; I would like to call it another word, but we're going to treat him with great respect."
Flake has not shown the president much of the same respect.
"Jeff Flake, that's another beauty," President Trump went on, as Newsmax's John Gizzi teed up the president's next question at the Wednesday news conference.