Jeff Flake: Senators Aren’t Meant To Be ‘Rubber Stamps’ For Donald Trump | Morning Joe

LIBERTY WAS PLACED, EVEN THOUGH HE CORRECTED IT WAS ADDED 20
YEARS LATER. JOINING ME JEFF FLAKE, AUTHOR OF
THE NEW BOOK "CONSCIENCE OF A CONSERVATIVE, A REJECTION OF
DESTRUCTIVE POLITICS AND RETURN TO PRINCIPLE" WITH AN ECHO OF
BARRY GOLDWATER FROM ARIZONA. ONE OF YOUR MENTORS.
>> HOMAGE TO BARRY GOLDWATER. >> AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS, IS
THIS YOUR DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FROM THE TRUMP
REPUBLICAN PARTY? >> NO, AN AFFIRMATION OF WHAT
CONSERVATIVISM MEANS, I BELIEVE. BARRY GOLDWATER IN HIS TIME
THOUGHT THAT REPUBLICANISM, CONSERVATISM HAD BEEN
COMPROMISED BY THE NEW DEAL. I THINK TODAY IT HAS BEEN
COMPROMISED BY POPULISM. PROVIDE SECTIONISM.
WE HAVE TO GET IT BACK IF WE WANT TO BE A GOVERNING MAJORITY.
>> ARE YOU CONSIDERING, FIRST OF ALL, RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
SOMETHING THAT -- >> NO, I'M RUNNING FOR
RE-ELECTION RIGHT NOW. >> RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION.
THERE WAS A QUESTION AT THE WHITE HOUSE BRIEFING YESTERDAY
AS TO WHETHER THE PRESIDENT WOULD WANT TO PRIMER YOU BECAUSE
OF YOUR INDEPENDENCE. THIS WAS SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS'
RESPONSE. >> I'M NOT SURE ABOUT ANY
POTENTIAL FUNDING OF A CAMPAIGN. BUT I THINK THAT SENATOR FLAKE
WOULD SERVE HIS CONSTITUENTS MUCH BETTER IF HE WAS LESS
FOCUSED ON WRITING A BOOK AND ATTACKING THE PRESIDENT AND
PASSING LEGISLATION. >> YOUR RESPONSE TO HER, TO
THAT. >> SENATORS AREN'T MEANT TO BE
RUBBER STAMPS OF ANY PRESIDENT. I AGREED WITH THIS PRESIDENT.
HE PUT FORWARD A GREAT SUPREME COURT NOMINEE.
I HELPED SHEPHERD THAT THROUGH THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE AND THE
SENATE. I THINK HE'S DONE GOOD THINGS ON
REGULATORY POLICY. INSTINCTS ON TAX POLICY ARE
GOOD. OTHER THINGS I DISAGREE WITH,, N
FREE TRADE, I'M VERY MUCH A FREE TRADER.
I BELIEVE NAFTA SERVED US VERY WELL AND OUGHT TO BE CONTINUED.
I'M DISAPPOINTED WE WITHDREW FROM THE TPP, TRANSPACIFIC
PARTNERSHIP. I HAVEN'T ALWAYS AGREED.
STILL, I'VE SUPPORTED MOST OF THE THINGS HE DID.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT VOTERS OF ARIZONA EXPECT ME TO DO.
>> ONE THING YOU WROTE IN THE BOOK IS DONALD TRUMP IS NOT THE
SOURCE CODE FOR OUR OBSESSION WITH THE POLITICS OF PERSONAL
DESTRUCTION. OUR CRISIS HAS MANY FATHERS.
SO IT PRECEDES HIM. >> YOU BET.
YOU BET. I SERVED IN THE HOUSE FOR 12
YEARS. 2001 TO 2012.
DURING THAT TIME, I MEAN, WE HAD REPUBLICANS STANDING UP DURING
THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS SAYING YOU LIE.
WE HAD, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS WHICH WERE BREACHES OF

THIS LAST CAMPAIGN. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE LEVEL IT
HAS GONE TO NOW. WE KNOW WE HAVE BIG ISSUES TO
TACKLE, OUR DEBT AND OUR DEFICIT, HEALTH CARE, AND
FOREIGN POLICY, WE KNOW THAT WE NEED TO SIT ACROSS THE AISLE,
WORK WITH OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE AISLE, AND IF WE ASSUME THE
WORST IN THEM, AND ASCRIBE POOR MOTIVES TO OUR POLITICAL
OPPONENTS, WE'LL NEVER DO THAT. WE WON'T ACHIEVE CONSERVATIVE
ENDS. >> ONE THING THE PRESIDENT HAS
PERHAPS UNWITTINGLY MANAGED TO DO IS UNITE CONGRESS, BOTH
HOUSES, BOTH PARTIES. AND NEARLY UNANIMOUS VOTE ON
SANCTIONS.ONS. THE SIGNING STATEMENTS
YESTERDAY, HE CRITICIZED CONGRESS MORE THAN HE CRITICIZED
VLADIMIR PUTIN, THE SANCTIONS ARE DIRECTED AGAINST.
HE ALSO, WE NOW KNOW IN THE FIRST PHONE CALL WITH THE
AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER IN JANUARY, SAID VERY ANGRILY, I
HAD IT, I'VE BEEN MAKING CALLS ALL DAY THIS IS THE MOST
UNPLEASANT CALL ALL DAY. PUTIN WAS A PLEASANT CALL.
THIS IS RIDICULOUS. >> IT MEANS SOMETHING IN TERMS
OF COMPORTMENT AND DEMEANOR. IN FOREIGN POLICY, IT IS
IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A STEADY POSTURE.
SOMETHING CONSISTENT AND PREDICTABLE.
THAT'S CONSERVATIVE. AND I'M CONCERNED THAT WE
STRAYED FROM THAT. >> AND WHAT CONCERNS DO YOU HAVE
SIMILAR TO THE CONCERNS THAT WERE EXPRESSED BY THE SANCTIONS
VOTE ABOUT ANY ATTEMPT TO GET RID OF BOB MUELLER.
THERE IS NO TALK OF LEGISLATION, I TALKED TO CHRIS CANES
YESTERDAY ABOUT IT, POSSIBLY BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION, TO
EITHER HIRE HIM OR PUT SOME LANGUAGE IN THE APPROPRIATIONS.
>> I THINK THAT IF HE WERE TO BE REMOVED, HOWEVER IT IS DONE BY
THE ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL OR NEW ONE, CONGRESS WOULD
ASSERT ITS PREROGATIVES. >> THERE IS ALSO REPORTING NBC
NEWS REPORTING EXCLUSIVELY THAT THERE IS REAL AGREEMENT, THE
PRESIDENT GETTING ANGRY AT THE GENERALS, MATTIS VERY UPSET
AFTER NATIONAL SECURITY MEETING TWO WEEKS AGO, WHERE HE'S
DEMANDING THE -- THE PRESIDENT IS DEMANDING THAT GENERAL
NICHOLSON WHO IS RUNNING THE WAR, THE COMMANDERMANDER IN
AFGHANISTAN BE FIRED BECAUSE HE'S NOT WINNING THE WAR.
>> I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT. WE DID HAVE A BRIEFING YESTERDAY
WITH GENERAL MATTIS. AND SECRETARY TILLERSON.
I'M GLAD THEY ARE WHERE THEY ARE.
THEY ARE -- THEY WERE STELLAR CHOICES AND I THINK THEY'RE
DOING A GOOD JOB. >> AT THE SAME TIME, OF COURSE,
JOHN KELLY TRYING TO REASSERT SOME DISCIPLINE AT THE WHITE
HOUSE AND REASSURING ATTORNEY GENERAL SESSION HE'S NOT ABOUT
TO BE FIRED. >> THOSE REPORTS ARE TRUE , I'M
HEARTENED. I THINK WE ALL ARE.
IT WOULD NOT GO OVER WELL IN THE SENATE IF GEOFF SESSIONS WERE
REMOVED BECAUSE THE PURPOSE HAS BEEN STATED FOR WHICH HE WOULD
BE REMOVED, BECAUSE HE RECUSED HIMSELF.
I THINK HE DID THE RIGHT THING. HE DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE.
I HOPE THAT HE STAYS. >> IS THERE CONCERN IN THE
SENATE ABOUT THE LACK OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AS YOU'RE ABOUT
TO LEAVE FOR THE WORK PERIOD OR WHATEVER WE WANT TO CALL THE
BREAK IN AUGUST. YOU BAM COCOME BACK IN SEPTEMBE
HAVE THE DEBT CEILING, YOU HAVE APPROPRIATION BILLS PENDING, YOU
HAVE ONE MORE VOTE TODAY BEFORE YOU LEAVE TOWN.
WHAT IS THE SPIRIT IN CONGRESS NOW?
>> WE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE ACHIEVED MORE THINGS OBVIOUSLY.
WE NEED TO HAVE A BUSY FALL. BUT I THINK IF THERE IS ANY
SILVER LINING IN ALL OF THIS, WE RECOGNIZED ON HEALTH CARE THE
LIMITS OF WHAT ONE PARTY WITH DO ON ITS OWN AND THAT WILL FORCE
US, I HOPE TO SIT DOWN, GO THROUGH REGULAR ORDER, SIT DOWN
WITH OUR COLLEAGUES ACROSS THE AISLE AND SOLVE SOMETHING.
THE BIGGER ISSUES ARE DEBT AND OUR DEFICIT THAT WILL REQUIRE
SOME KIND OF GRAND BARGAIN. SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES OF THE
SIMPSON BOWLES KIND OF APPROACH. NO ONE PARTY IN CONTROL OF BOTH
CHAMBERS IN THE WHITE HOUSE IS GOING TO RISK THAT ON THEIR OWN.
YOU HAVE TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE AND IT IS A CONSERVATIVE
THING TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. BUT WE WON'T DO THAT IF WE
CONTINUE TO BELIEVE WE CAN DO IT ALL BY OURSELVES AS REPUBLICANS.
WE HAVE TO REACH ACROSS THE AISLE.
>> WANT TO CLOSE WITH ANOTHER QUOTE FROM THE BOOK.
THE CONSCIENCE OF A CONSERVATIVE, THE HOMAGE TO
BARRY GOLDWATER. YOU WROTE WE CONSERVATIVES
OBTAINED AN UNNERVING SILENCE AS INSTABILITY ENSUED AS IF WHAT
WAS HAPPENING WAS ANYTHING APPROACHING NORMALCY REQUIRING A
SUSPENSION OF FACULTIES AND TREMENDOUS POWERS OF DENIAL.
>> THE ESSENCE OF CONSERVATISM IS STEADY COMPORTMENT.
YOU TAKE THE TIMELESS PRINCIPLES THAT WORKED IN THE PAST AND YOU
STICK TO THEM. AND THE KIND OF CHAOS THAT WE
HAVE SEEN AND THE CHAOS IN THE WHITE HOUSE AND FRANKLY
DYSFUNCTION IN THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE THAT HAS STRETCHED OVER A
COUPLE OF DECADES, THAT'S NOT A RECIPE FOR A BRIGHT FUTURE.
I HOPE WE CAN CHANGE AND SETTLE DOWN AND GO BACK TO THE
PRINCIPLES THAT SERVED US WELL FOR SO LONG.
>> YOU RETURN TO ARIZONA IN THE COMING DAYS, IF YOU HAVE THE

Jeff Flake: Senators Aren’t Meant To Be ‘Rubber Stamps’ For Donald Trump | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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