Republicans need to work together to make sure that President Donald Trump can be the most successful president he can be, and to make sure the GOP-controlled Congress delivers on Americans' expectations, Rep. Marsha Blackburn said Thursday, while discussing a controversial new book by Sen. Jeff Flake.
"Jeff is a friend of mine, but if we want to talk about that book, we need to go back and look at what happened to cause the American people to go without," the Tennessee Republican told Fox News' "America's Newsroom" anchor Bill Hemmer.
"Both Democrats and Republicans, we have responsibility."
Americans expected a set of deliverables and action, said Blackburn, and when that did not happen, they went with Trump, "someone outside the box," and now it's time for Republicans to find consensus about meeting Americans' expectations and to work with Trump.
Flake has been attacked for his book and its criticism of Trump, but Hemmer said the premise goes back even further, as he made the case the Republican Party has gotten away from its principles such as "No Child Left Behind."
However, Blackburn said Americans should not be frustrated with the Republican Party, but with Congress "not delivering to meet their expectations, saying legislation would be one thing and then it's not."
The party has also not done a "great job in the past 10 years of messaging," said Blackburn. "Congress, the House and Senate, has not done a great job of messaging."