The Republican Party’s "cult of personality" surrounding President Donald Trump will harm the GOP in the long run, former Sen. Jeff Flake told "CBS This Morning" on Monday.
"This president won't be there forever," the Arizona Republican said. "Then what happens to the Republican Party?”
He stressed that "My fear is people out there know that, even if this is not an impeachable offense, that the president did something wrong, and for Republicans to maintain that he didn't is just wrong, and this has long-term ramifications for the party if we act as if we are just devoted to the president no matter what, and this cult of personality that we've seen, we certainly saw it in the House."
When asked why it is difficult for Republicans to speak up if they disagree with Trump, Flake said "they want to keep their jobs, and the president is extremely popular among Republican primary voters. That is a subset of a subset of a subset. But they are those who decide who represents the party in the general election."
Flake, who did not run for reelection two years ago over his disagreements with Trump, said Republicans are also on trial along with the president.
He said those vulnerable GOP senators who are fearing the primaries must also remember the general election when deciding, for example, whether to insist that witnesses eventually be allowed to testify, because “to win a general election in a state like Arizona or Colorado or Maine is difficult unless you have said, 'Hey, we're going to hear this evidence and we're going to consider it,' like a senator should. And I think that they know that."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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