A former New York Times book critic has made the rare move of taking back her positive review of Sen. Jeff Flake Jeffrey (Jeff) Lane FlakeHow fast population growth made Arizona a swing state Jeff Flake: Republicans 'should hold the same position' on SCOTUS vacancy as 2016 Republican former Michigan governor says he's voting for Biden MORE’s (R-Ariz.) book.

In a column published Tuesday, Jennifer Senior, who is now an opinion columnist for the paper, writes that Flake is “a class act with a faint heart.”

Senior writes that in her review of “Conscience of a Conservative,” Flake’s 2017 book, she praised the Republican senator for vocally standing up to President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE and calling him “the domestic and international menace that he is.”

“I said that Flake’s book had rhetorical power,” she writes. “But looking back on it, it didn’t. Jeff Flake’s book couldn’t even convince Jeff Flake. As of this writing, he has voted with Trump 84 percent of the time.”

ADVERTISEMENT

She writes that she was “snowed by Flake’s candor” in her initial review, but expresses disappointment that the senator did not “swallow his misgivings about policy and align himself with the opposition” in Congress.

“If you’re a truly committed Never Trumper, there’s a fundamental problem with selectively supporting Trump’s agenda,” she writes. “Whenever you hand him a vote, you strengthen him. You contribute to his roster of accomplishments.”

Senior describes what she calls Flake’s “protest votes,” writing that they had “zero effect” on his proposed return to “morally sound conservatism.”

“It wasn’t that I was too kind to Flake when his book came out,” she writes. “It was that I mischaracterized his book altogether … It was a relic. It was a bit of quixotica. It was a tragedy.”

Flake, who announced his retirement from the Senate in a blistering floor speech last year, will be replaced by Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema, the first woman to represent Arizona in the Senate.

Sinema was declared the winner of the close race against Rep. Martha McSally Martha Elizabeth McSallyThe Hill's Campaign Report: Presidential polls tighten weeks out from Election Day Mark Kelly: Arizona Senate race winner should be sworn in 'promptly' New ABC/WaPost poll finds Trump edging Biden in Arizona, Florida MORE (R-Ariz.) on Monday night.