Former Sen. Flake, outspoken Trump critic, on the GOP reckoning post-midterms

Former Arizona Senator Jeff Flake said Republicans’ major midterm losses reflected voter frustration with economic pressures and the party’s political style, not only the Iran war. He argued that President Trump’s decision to elevate immigration hardliner Stephen Miller suggested the administration would be less willing to seek agreements with Democrats, including on immigration.

Flake identified tariffs and the cost of living as key economic concerns, saying tariffs had raised prices before the war began. He also criticised Republicans’ use of extreme labels against political opponents, which he said had worn thin with voters. In Arizona, Democrats took control of the governorship and both legislative chambers for the first time in 60 years; Flake cited a 19-year-old Democrat winning a Maricopa County clerk’s race by about 100,000 votes.