Jeff Flake: It Would Have Been ‘Satisfying’ to ‘Deny’ Trump Kavanaugh Confirmation

Former Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) is opening up about his vote to confirm Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“There would have been nothing more satisfying to me than to deny the president,” Flake said in an interview with The Washington Post. “Given his boorish and bullying behavior and remarks about Dr. Ford and whatnot, that would have been immensely satisfying.”

Flake was a key vote in favor of Kavanaugh’s 2018 confirmation. Kavanaugh was confirmed with a 50-48 vote.

However, Flake said he believed voting against Kavanaugh would set a dangerous precedent for future nominations.

“But it would have, I thought, set a precedent that would be dangerous in the long term if we had an allegation that was uncorroborated — that that, in and of itself, could sink a nomination. That’s territory that the Senate shouldn’t be in.”

Additionally, Flake discussed the FBI’s investigation of sexual assault allegations made against Kavanaugh, “I wish that it could have started earlier and gone longer. And been more thorough. But it was not insignificant.”

He added that a viral moment when an activist confronted him in an elevator over his decision to support Kavanaugh helped give him the “resolve” to call for an investigation of the accusations.

Flake, who left office at the beginning of 2019, has not been afraid to share his opinion of President Donald Trump. In the same interview, he said he would not vote for Trump in the general election, as IJR previously reported.