Fox’s Huckabee: Sen. Flake ‘can’t wait to run in front of a camera to trash the president’

Fox’s Mike Huckabee laid into Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) for writing a book that includes pointed criticism of President Trump, accusing Flake of criticising Trump to sell “a lot of books.”

The commentary from the former Arkansas governor comes as Flake has appeared on multiple CNN and MSNBC programs to promote his new book, “Conscience of a Conservative: A Rejection of Destructive Politics and a Return to Principle.”

“This book from Senator Flake that he wrote, ‘Conscience of a Conservative,’ could have also just been called ‘Trolling President Trump,'” said Fox News anchor Leland Vittert during a Thursday interview with Huckabee on Fox’s “America’s Newsroom.” “So, if we’re going to go back to Reagan’s 11th Commandment [of never attacking a fellow Republican], who is at fault here?”

{mosads}“Jeff Flake writing a book trying to poke at Donald Trump. He should have known that when you poke at Donald Trump, he is going to come back at you,” responded Huckabee, a network contributor. 

“I wish the senator would understand: If he’s got a difference with the president, take it to him, but do it in private,” he continued. “What it seemed that Jeff Flake was interested in doing was selling a lot of books by taking on Donald Trump on every liberal show that was just gushing over him for having done that.”

Huckabee then praised Democrats for their unity while taking another shot at Flake.

“You know, the Democrats stick together. You let one of the Democrats say something ridiculous and they circle the wagons behind that person, they never call them out,” he concluded. “A Republican can’t wait to run in front of a camera and trash the president.”

Flake said Thursday that Trump is “inviting” a presidential primary challenge in 2020 because he’s focusing on keeping his base happy too much. 

“I think that the way that, the direction he’s headed right now, just kinda drilling down on the base rather than trying to expand the base, I think he’s inviting one,” said Flake in a radio interview. 

The president has criticized Flake on several occasions of late via Twitter while praising his to the Republian primary opponent, former state Sen. Kelli Ward.

“Great to see that Dr. Kelli Ward is running against Flake Jeff Flake, who is WEAK on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate. He’s toxic!” Trump tweeted last week. He also went after Flake again in a Wednesday morning tweet on crime and border security.