Flake blasts Trump over ‘baffling, inexplicable attacks’ on allies

Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) ripped President Trump on Wednesday by saying his attacks against long-standing U.S. allies are “not normal” and are damaging the country’s international standing.

“Baffling, inexplicable attacks on our closest allies by the administration one day and the appalling praise for perhaps the most brutal dictator on earth the next. These events are not normal,” Flake said from the Senate floor.

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Flake’s floor speech comes as Trump and GOP administration staffers have clashed publicly with Canada following the Group of Seven (G-7) summit. Trump left the meeting to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Flake added that concerns with allies shouldn’t be addressed through “bellicose taunts or tweets.”

“Consistently ridiculing our allies by suggesting that they are somehow abusing us while voicing admiration for despots and dictators represents a fundamental departure in behavior for American administrations,” he added.