White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders fired back at Jeff Flake over his criticism of President Trump.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Wednesday called Republican Senator Jeff Flake "a mouthpiece" for an oppressive regime who is acting out because his poll numbers are low.
The comment came after Flake delivered a fiery speech from the Senate floor on Wednesday, chastising President Trump for his repeated assertions of "fake news," comparing him to Joseph Stalin, and asserting he is putting the freedom of the press in peril.
When asked to comment on Flake's statements, Sanders responded, "I found it quite interesting that he is coming out to attack this president considering he's the one that was recently defending an actually oppressive regime."
"He went to Cuba a few weeks ago and served as a mouthpiece for the oppressive Cuban government," she further noted. "He's not criticizing the president because he's against oppression. He's criticizing the president because he has terrible poll numbers."
Senator Flake said in late October that he would not be seeking re-election, reports the New York Times.
In announcing that decision, Flake noted in an address delivered to the Senate that he "will no longer be complicit or silent" in regard to Trump's "reckless, outrageous and undignified" conduct.