By Cleo Krejci | Arizona Republic
Former Sen. Jeff Flake has stepped up his criticism of President Donald Trump in recent days over what he sees as a lack of leadership in Trump’s response to nationwide protests sparked by the police killing of a black man in Minnesota.
Flake, R-Ariz., whose decision not to seek re-election in 2018 in part stemmed from his opposition to Trump and the direction of Republican Party politics, is back to blasting Trump on Twitter while praising Trump critics Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, and former Defense Secretary James Mattis.
In an interview with The Arizona Republic, Flake declined to comment on whether he intends to endorse Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden over Trump.
“The president seems to try to divide at every turn, instead of making even an effort to unify people,” Flake told The Republic. “You look at his tweets, his statements and (his) actions, it’s very divisive. It’s not what a leader ought to do.”