Trump fires back at outgoing Senators Corker and Flake, saying they had 'zero chance' of reelection
- President Donald Trump tweeted that Senators Bob Corker and Jeff Flake didn't decide against reelection bids because they dislike him, but because they had "zero chance" of winning.
- Republican Senators Corker and Flake have come out strong against Trump recently.
- Trump still enjoys broad support from the Republican senate.
President Donald Trump tweeted on Wednesday morning saying that outgoing Republican Senators Bob Corker and Jeff Flake were leaving Congress not because they opposed his agenda, but because they had "zero chance" of reelection.
"The reason Flake and Corker dropped out of the Senate race is very simple, they had zero chance of being elected. Now act so hurt & wounded!" Trump tweeted.
Both senators have come out against Trump lately - criticizing his policies, statements, and the larger movement he represents.
On Tuesday, Flake gave a speech on the senate floor announcing that would not seek reelection as a way of saying "enough" to a president he saw as "reckless, outrageous, and undignified."
Corker, who announced he would not seek reelection in late September, previously attacked the president by saying the White House had become an "adult daycare center."
In a separate tweet, Trump called his meeting with Republican senators on Tuesday "a love fest with standing ovations and great ideas" outside of Corker and Flake.
"We gave [Trump] three standing ovations, we appreciated him being there, and we had meatloaf," Louisiana Senator John Kennedy said of the meeting.
The president took another shot at Flake later Wednesday morning, after the senator said on CNN that he expected more Republicans to now speak out.
"Jeff Flake, with an 18% approval rating in Arizona, said 'a lot of my colleagues have spoken out.' Really, they just gave me a standing O!" Trump tweeted.
Flake, Corker, and Sen. John McCain have been perhaps the most frequent critics of Trump, but he actually does enjoy strong support from the Republican majority in the Senate. Some critics pointed to the fact that Flake, who said he would not be "complicit" in promoting Trump's platform, has voted in alignment with Trump more than 90% of the time.
Additionally both Corker and Flake faced uncertainty in their reelection campaigns after turning against Trump.