A somewhat stunning admission coming from a Republican Senator for his home very redstate, but it's been just that kind of year.
Source: Independent Journal Review
Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) said that controversial rhetoric by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has damaged the GOP's credibility with voters and put Arizona "in play" for the Democrats.
Appearing on CNN's "State of the Union" with host Jake Tapper, Flake said that he cannot bring himself to voting for Trump, the party's nominee:
"I would not vote for Hillary Clinton and as of now I would still not vote for Donald Trump."
Flake added that "you can always write somebody in" before suggesting that he would like to be able to vote for Trump, but cannot "given some of the positions he has taken."
But Flake insisted that Trump's comments have not just hurt his own support for the nominee, but have put a traditionally red Arizona at risk to be won by Clinton:
"Arizona should still be a red state but Donald Trump, with the rhetoric he's used and the characterizations of many of the state's population have put the state in play."