Donald Trump just got some really bad news from an unlikely source

Former Republican Senator Jeff Flake is a cowardly man who probably means well but isn’t strong enough to do the right thing. He proved this during the Kavanaugh hearings when he ultimately caved because he wanted a lucrative post-Senate career working as a Republican lobbyist, and he wasn’t going to get it if he cost the far-right billionaires a Supreme Court nomination. But now Flake is back, and he’s an unlikely figure delivering an important message from his overlords.

This morning Jeff Flake published an op-ed in the Washington Post, which sees him waffling in typical fashion. He says “the president’s actions warrant impeachment” but then goes on to argue that maybe impeachment isn’t a good idea. Okay, whatever, his last name is “Flake” for a reason. But there’s an important message in Flake’s waffling.

Jeff Flake is saying in exact words that if Donald Trump isn’t impeached and removed, his former colleagues in the Republican Senate should make a point of ensuring that Trump doesn’t get a second term.

Flake doesn’t specify whether he’s talking about replacing Trump on the 2020 ballot, or simply handing the election to the Democratic nominee. But one thing is clear: Flake is a puppet owned by wealthy far-right special interests, and he wouldn’t be saying this unless it was with their blessing and/or at their instruction. Powerful far-right elements are using Flake as a mouthpiece to instruct Republican Senators to take Trump down. These GOP Senators get their money from the same place Flake does, so we’ll see what comes of this. But it’s not a good sign for Trump.