Free Republic

Friday on CNN’s “At This Hour,” former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) urged the GOP to “shun” the “conspiratorial fringe element of the party” if it wants to win elections moving forward. Flake, who has long been vocal about his disdain for former President Donald Trump, emphasized that Republicans should break from Trump and his supporters like Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and instead turn to someone like former House Speaker Paul Ryan.

Jeff Flake is finally taking a stand on the need to protect Robert Mueller — and it’s infuriating his fellow Republicans. The retiring Arizona senator is undermining the Senate GOP’s efforts to approve as many lifetime-appointed federal judges as possible in the lame duck. His vow to oppose all judges until he gets a vote shielding the special counsel from presidential interference has already frozen 21 judicial picks in committee and on Thursday helped derail a nominee on the Senate floor.