MSNBC's Joe Scarborough said in the wake of Sen. Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeJeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Republican former Michigan governor says he's voting for Biden Maybe they just don't like cowboys: The president is successful, some just don't like his style MORE's (R-Ariz.) retirement announcement that Americans are witnessing "the political suicide" of the Republican Party, "where you are losing guys who are temperamentally moderate."

"From John McCain John Sidney McCainBiden's six best bets in 2016 Trump states Replacing Justice Ginsburg could depend on Arizona's next senator The Hill's Morning Report - Sponsored by Facebook - Washington on edge amid SCOTUS vacancy MORE, George W. Bush, to Bob Corker Robert (Bob) Phillips CorkerHas Congress captured Russia policy? Tennessee primary battle turns nasty for Republicans Cheney clashes with Trump MORE, Jeff Flake yesterday, these are Republicans who felt the need and are compelled to come and reaffirm, not just conservative values, but American values, and say ... what’s happening right now is not who we are," observed "Morning Joe" co-host Willie Geist early Wednesday. "I don't know, have we seen anything like this? Nine months, 10 months into a presidency where members of his own party are coming out like this, lining up to criticize him this way?"

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"You haven't," Scarborough, a former GOP congressman-turned-independent, replied. "And what you’re seeing here — let's make no mistake of it. What we are seeing here is the political suicide, it's the coming in of the Republican Party where you are losing guys who are temperamentally moderate."

"And the question is, what happens to the Republicans who remain there?" Scarborough later asked. "Do they really give Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBubba Wallace to be driver of Michael Jordan, Denny Hamlin NASCAR team Graham: GOP will confirm Trump's Supreme Court nominee before the election Southwest Airlines, unions call for six-month extension of government aid MORE a standing ovation yesterday after saying he was a threat to the Constitution every day behind the scenes?"

Scarborough went on to call Flake's speech on Tuesday condemning Trump perhaps "one of the most significant speeches on the Senate floor in decades."

Flake told The Arizona Republic on Tuesday that running in the Republican primary would force him to "condone behavior that I cannot condone."

"The path that I would have to travel to get the Republican nomination is a path I'm not willing to take, and that I can't in good conscience take," Flake said. "It would require me to believe in positions I don't hold on such issues as trade and immigration and it would require me to condone behavior that I cannot condone."