Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was all smiles when he learned that Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., would not be seeking re-election in 2018.
He was told about Flake’s announcement during a media availability Tuesday afternoon by reporters in the U.S. Capitol.
One reporter asked, “Can Democrats win Arizona?”
Schumer, D-N.Y., stopped walking away from the podium to ask fellow Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland, “Who is it?”
Flake’s name was yelled out and Schumer turned back to the press, peering over his glasses, with a smile spreading across his face.
He left without comment, but later put out a statement praising Flake.
“He is one of the finest human beings I’ve met in politics. He is moral, upright, and strong and he will be missed by just about everybody in the Senate,” Schumer’s statement read.
.@SenSchumer smiled as he learned @JeffFlake will not be seeking re-election. https://t.co/nX5r7SxJ59 pic.twitter.com/EnCPYz2ytt— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 24, 2017
Flake, who has been a vocal critic of President Trump’s, panned the president Tuesday while announcing his intention not to run in 2018.
The other senator from Arizona, Republican Sen. John McCain, was just re-elected in November, but this year was diagnosed with and has received treatments for brain cancer.
