President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Phoenix on Tuesday. | Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Trump slams Flake as 'toxic' ahead of Phoenix rally

President Donald Trump attacked Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake as “toxic” on Thursday, just days before the president will visit Phoenix for an upcoming rally.

“Great to see that Dr. Kelli Ward is running against Flake Jeff Flake, who is WEAK on borders, crime and a non-factor in Senate. He's toxic!” Trump tweeted Thursday morning, minutes after he also rebuked GOP South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham over criticism of the president’s Charlottesville response.


Ward, who unsuccessfully ran against Arizona Sen. John McCain in 2016, announced in October that she’ll run against Flake in 2018. Trump's support for her put him at odds with the National Republican Senatorial Committee and its chairman, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.).

"The NRSC unequivocally supports Senator Flake in his reelection bid," Gardner said in a statement via the NRSC.

Ward's name resurfaced in recent weeks after the Arizona physician suggested that McCain resign from the Senate less than a week after he had been diagnosed with brain cancer and despite the fact that he had publicly stated his intent to return to Washington and continue his work. Asked by a radio host if she should be a possible pick for Arizona's governor, who would have to nominate any replacement for McCain, Ward said "I certainly hope so."

"I hope Sen. McCain is going to look long and hard at this, that his family and his advisers are going to look at this, and they’re going to advise him to step away as quickly as possible, so that the business of the country and the business of Arizona being represented at the federal level can move forward,” Ward told a radio station last month.

Ward's comments were widely panned as opportunistic and insensitive. During her primary campaign against McCain, Ward attacked the longtime Arizona senator in an interview with POLITICO, characterizing him as a dinosaur and suggesting that McCain would likely not survive another full, six-year term in office.

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Flake, who had consistently been critical of Trump during the 2016 election, ratcheted-up his blistering criticism of the president in recent weeks. He recently wrote a book on conservatism and went on network and cable news shows to denounce the president.

Trump is scheduled to hold a rally in Phoenix on Tuesday.

