Former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said on CNN over the weekend that he has been in talks with President Biden’s administration about bipartisanship in foreign policy positions but added that there have been “no specific talks” about a spot for Flake as an ambassador.
“You know, we used to say that partisanship stops at the water’s edge. That needs to happen, and I think it can happen. But there’s been no specific talks,” Flake said.
The conversation began due to reporting from Axios that the Biden administration could be considering Flake for a spot as an ambassador for South Africa.
“I certainly have an interest in, like I said, making sure that our foreign policy is bipartisan. But we’ll leave that to the Biden administration to make those decisions,” Flake told CNN’s Pamela Brown on “Newsroom.”
Flake has recently joined CNN as a political commentator and has been an outspoken Republican against former President Trump.
Flake declined to say if he has been offered any other roles besides ambassadorship with Biden’s administration but said he is “pleased” with those being considered for national security and foreign policy teams.
“I do believe that Joe Biden will be looking at some of his Republican colleagues and others for different places in the administration. We don’t see that in the Cabinet right now, but I think he’s open to that,” former Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.) said on the program.
Jones said he would support Flake in an ambassadorship position with the Biden team.
Flake endorsed Biden over Trump in the 2020 election and sent Jones a campaign contribution in 2017 during his run for Senate.