Former GOP Sen. Jeff Flake detailed his reasoning for throwing his support for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, saying that the former vice president upholds traditional institutions.
“Conservatives believe in preserving institutions, to preserve what we know works and the institutions of American democracy — our freedom of the press, for example, or separation of powers, an independent judiciary,” Flake said in an interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour. “The president has shown that he little understands or little appreciates these institutions.”
Flake, who often sparred with President Trump when he was representing Arizona as a Republican up through January 2019, has encouraged Republicans to abandon him as their nominee leading up to the 2020 election.
He said Biden is the first Democrat to get his vote in a presidential election.
“I’m not pretending Joe Biden is as conservative as I am on fiscal issues and whatnot, but on those important issues of American democracy, frankly he’s more conservative than the president is,” he said.
For the first time in his life, former GOP Senator @JeffFlake is voting for a Democrat for president in November. “I’m not pretending Joe Biden is as conservative as I am… but on those important issues of American democracy, frankly he’s more conservative than the president is.” pic.twitter.com/hhLpY4hEjj
— Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) August 28, 2020
