Former Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., confirmed this week that he has been in contact with the Biden administration about a potential ambassadorship appointment.
Over the weekend, Axios reported that President Joe Biden has been considering nominating Flake and possibly Cindy McCain, the widow of the late Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., to be ambassadors in order to signal that his administration’s foreign policy will be bipartisan.
When asked if the report was true, Flake confirmed he has been in touch with the Biden administration but said no final decisions about his nomination have been made.
“All I’ve said is I would have an interest in making sure that President Biden’s foreign policy is bipartisan,” Flake told CNN on Monday.
“You know, we used to say that partisanship stops at the water’s edge,” he continued. “That needs to happen—and I think it can happen, but there’s been no specific talks.”
Flake said he is not sure what Biden’s timeline is, but added it could be a while before an announcement is made.
“I think they’re a ways from decisions,” he explained. “They still have half the Cabinet to get through the Senate. So, I certainly have an interest in making sure that our foreign policy is bipartisan, but we’ll leave that to the Biden administration to make those decisions.”
Both Flake and Cindy McCain are prominent NeverTrump voices who consistently opposed former president Donald Trump and his policies. They both supported Democrats’ recent impeachment efforts and endorsed Biden during the 2020 presidential election.
In response, the Arizona GOP censured Flake and Cindy McCain for betraying the Republican Party.
The state party’s chairwoman, Kelli Ward, said the censure was necessary because the future of the GOP is Trump’s base.
“Yes, I will be radical about those things because those are the things that keep this country great,” Ward said.
“The people who are complaining are the people who actually put us in this spot where we are in Arizona, people who have been mamby pamby, lie down and allow the Democrats to walk all over them,” she added.
