While freshman Sen. Mitt Romney’s now-infamous Washington Post op-ed criticizing President Trump was met with cheers by many of the administration’s critics, it predictably triggered a massive backlash from his fellow Republicans. Romney’s criticisms of the president’s character and conduct echoed those of former Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who spent the last two years unsuccessfully trying to mount a conservative opposition to Trump in the Senate.

Flake’s relentless criticism of Trump alienated members of his party, but his conservative voting record still made him unpalatable to most committed members of the liberal #Resistance. This wasn’t a successful strategy: In 2018, the senator’s approval ratings hit a rock-bottom 18 percent. While Flake’s opposition to Trump was ultimately unsuccessful, his shortcomings do provide Romney with a guide for what he should avoid if he wants to replace Flake as a vocal Trump critic in the Senate majority yet maintain credibility in the public.