"If he does, I think you'll see a lot of Republicans making a contribution to Joe Manchin,” Arizona Republican Sen. Jeff Flake said of the possibility of supporting a Democrat over former coal baron Don Blankenship, if Blankernship wins on Tuesday. | Nicholas Kamm/Getty Images Flake blames Trump for rise of Blankenship in West Virginia

Arizona GOP Sen. Jeff Flake, a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, blamed Trump on Monday for the rise of controversial Republican Senate candidate Don Blankenship in West Virginia.

Blankenship is using racist attacks about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) — McConnell’s wife, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, is Chinese-American — as a centerpiece of his campaign. His efforts threaten to turn West Virginia into another Alabama-like debacle for the GOP, where a Democrat wins a Senate race in a heavily red state because Republicans nominate a candidate too toxic to win a general election.


Even Trump is aware of the danger of Blankenship’s candidacy, warning West Virginia Republican voters Sunday to “Remember Alabama.” Trump carried West Virginia by 42 points in November 2016, and Republicans had set their sights on defeating incumbent Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin this November.

Yet according to Flake, Trump’s use of racially charged language and messages during the 2016 race for the White House —and his success in doing so — has inspired other GOP hopefuls to try to do the same, including Blankenship.

“The problem with normalizing statements and behavior like we’ve seen over the last couple years leads to this kind of thing,” Flake said. “If it’s still OK to talk about ‘China people’ or whatever else. But that’s not too dissimilar a word from some of the language we’ve heard used successfully.”

Flake added: “When you talk about ‘Mexican rapists’ or a judge who can’t judge fairly because of his Mexican heritage. Words have meaning, and this isn’t going to be helpful to anyone.”

At the start of his campaign in June 2015, Trump claimed that some Mexican immigrants are “rapists,” a remark that Trump was heavily criticized for but one that he refused to back down on. Trump still references the controversy during some of his speeches as president.

Trump also lashed out in May 2016 at U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, an Indiana native of Mexican heritage, saying Curiel couldn’t be impartial in a case involving the then-GOP presidential candidate because he is a “Mexican.” Curiel eventually sided with Trump’s position in the case.

Blankenship — who went to prison for willfully violating mine safety and health standards following a 2010 disaster that left 29 people dead — has gone after McConnell’s family. McConnell’s father-in-law, wealthy Chinese businessman James S.C. Chao, has given McConnell and Elaine Chao a personal gift worth $5 million to $25 million, according to financial disclosure documents filed by the Kentucky Republican. Blankenship has seized on the 2008 gift in his campaign ad.

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“Swamp captain Mitch McConnell has created millions of jobs for China people. While doing so, Mitch has gotten rich,” Blankenship said in a TV ad. “In fact, his China family has given him tens of millions of dollars.”

Blankenship’s use of racist language has drawn a tidal wave of scorn from Senate Republicans and the GOP establishment. But Blankenship appears to be gaining support, and he is locked in a tough race with Rep. Evan Jenkins and state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.

Flake predicted that if Blankenship wins Tuesday’s GOP primary, a number of Republican senators will donate to Manchin.

"If he does, I think you'll see a lot of Republicans making a contribution to Joe Manchin,” Flake said of Blankenship. “I certainly will be.”