Story highlights Republican Sen. Jeff Flake continued to publicly criticize President Donald Trump

Flake authored an op-ed in August criticizing one GOP immigration proposal

Washington (CNN) Republican Sen. Jeff Flake defended the top Democrat in the Senate against attacks from President Donald Trump, who blamed the deadly New York City terror attack on a program that Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer helped shape but later tried to end.

Trump tweeted Wednesday morning that suspect Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbek immigrant, came to the country through the Diversity Visa Lottery Program, which Trump described as a "Chuck Schumer beauty."

The terrorist came into our country through what is called the "Diversity Visa Lottery Program," a Chuck Schumer beauty. I want merit based. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 1, 2017

The United States distributes 50,000 visas each year by random selection to people from countries with a low rate of immigration to the US — an effort designed to diversity the country's immigrant population. The visas offer immigrants green cards, permanent legal residence and a path to citizenship.

While Schumer helped shape the program in the 1990s, he was also part of the bipartisan Gang of Eight that crafted comprehensive immigration reform, including an end to the lottery program. The overall bill passed the Senate, but failed to advance in the House.

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