A Republican critic of President Donald Trump said Wednesday he will stop automatically opposing nominees to the U.S. Circuit Court following a symbolic Senate vote that made a statement against instituting trade tariffs.
Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., told The Hill he is satisfied with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's decision to hold a vote that challenged Trump's authority on tariffs.
"That was always the deal. Get a vote and it's dropped," Flake said.
The Senate voted 88-11 to approve a non-binding motion that backs Congress having a role when tariffs are proposed in the name of national security, which Trump has done against several countries in recent months.
Flake opposes the tariffs and was using his power as a crucial vote on judicial nominees to force Wednesday's vote. Now that he has ceased automatically opposing circuit court picks, The Hill reported the nomination of two circuit court judges — Britt Grant on the 11th Circuit and David Porter on the 3rd Circuit — can now proceed.
Flake tweeted this after Wednesday's vote:
Flake is not running for re-election this year and has been coy about a potential White House run in 2020.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.