President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning made his first public remarks since Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake (R.) denounced him amid an announcement he would not seek reelection, saying Flake and Tennessee Sen. Bob Corker (R.) dropped out of their races because they had "zero chance of being elected."
Trump took to Twitter after public feuds with the two Republican lawmakers rocked Capitol Hill. On Tuesday morning, Trump attacked Corker with a series of tweets, leading Corker to respond that the president was "utterly untruthful."
Then, Flake dropped a surprising announcement he would not seek a second term in 2018, blasting Trump's policies and conduct in the White House in a speech on the Senate floor. Corker, too, has stated he will not seek another term next year.
"The reason Flake and Corker dropped out of the Senate race is very simple, they had zero chance of being elected," Trump wrote. "Now act so hurt & wounded!"
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/923149037523566592
"The meeting with Republican Senators yesterday, outside of Flake and Corker, was a love fest with standing ovations and great ideas for USA!" Trump added. He followed up that he was "working hard" on the largest tax cut in U.S. history.
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/923149793974775810
https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/923150966551171073
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders also attacked Corker and Flake at Tuesday's briefing, saying Corker "grandstanded on TV" and Flake's speech was not "befitting of the Senate floor."