GOP Sen. Jeff Flake’s campaign pushed back Tuesday against President Donald Trump’s thinly-veiled accusation that the Arizona lawmaker is weak on border security.
While avoiding naming the senator directly, Trump lashed out at Flake during his rally in Phoenix, Ariz., Tuesday evening, saying “Nobody knows who the hell he is” and that he is “weak on borders, weak on crime.”
Flake’s campaign dismissed the claims and noted that Flake voted in favor of increasing the number of border agents and constructing at least 700 miles of border fencing. The senator also sponsored legislation aimed at providing legal protection to local law enforcement officials holding undocumented immigrants on ICE detainers, the campaign said.
“Senator Flake has a strong record on border security,” a spokesman for Flake told The Daily Caller News Foundation in a statement. “He remains focused on working for Arizona and building a winning campaign.”
Trump and Flake have long had a strained relationship. The president repeatedly called out the senator for not endorsing him during the presidential election and criticizing his rhetoric on a number of occasions.
The president has praised Dr. Kelli Ward’s decision to challenge Flake for his seat in the 2018 primary election.
Flake recently said he isn’t worried about Trump’s attacks, telling CNN whoever Trump opts to endorse is “his prerogative.”
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