FILE - In this Oct. 2, 2018 file photo Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz. participates in a forum in Washington. Flake says he hopes a Republican will challenge President Donald Trump’s re-election bid, but it won’t be him. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
January 29, 2019 - 6:31 AM
WASHINGTON - Former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake says he hopes a Republican will challenge President Donald Trump's re-election bid, but it won't be him.
Flake, who did not seek re-election in 2018, frequently tangled with Trump and often said he hoped a Republican would challenge Trump in 2020. Flake told "CBS This Morning" on Tuesday "that somebody won't be me. I will not be a candidate."
Flake retired this month and is now a CBS News contributor. He says that it's "a difficult path" for any Republican to challenge Trump in a primary but that he still hopes someone will do so.
Flake was a U.S. senator from Arizona from 2013 to 2019. Previously, he represented Arizona's 6th Congressional District in the House.
News from © The Associated Press, 2019