Outgoing establishment RINO [score]Jeff Flake[/score] appeared in Mesa, Arizona — the city that in 2014 was rated the “most conservative big city in America,” on Friday to speak at a town hall event.

But the real fireworks came after Flake spoke when he was caught on a hot mic in a conversation with Republican Mesa Mayor John Giles, who was encouraging Flake to run for the presidency in 2020 against “idiot” President Donald Trump “just for fun.”

The conversation began with Flake telling Giles that the Republican Party was — in his mind — screwed because it had become the “party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump.”

“[We’ve] become the party of Roy Moore and Donald Trump; we are toast,” Flake said, chuckling.

“And I am not throwing smoke at you, but you are the guy,” a grinning Giles responded. “Just for fun — think about how much fun it would be — just to be the foil, you know, and point out what an idiot this guy [Trump] is.”

Phoenix news station ABC 15 reached out to both Jeff Flake and John Giles for comment.

Flakes office said that he had nothing additional to add. Giles responded in writing, claiming to be a “conservative Republican” concerned about the “party’s ethics” because of Judge Roy Moore, a Christian constitutional conservative and former Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, who’s under attack by what appears as an orchestrated political character assassination led by Republican Senate Majority Leader [score]Mitch McConnell[/score] with accusation from 40 years ago, and Donald Trump.

Flake responded to Giles with giggles and walked away without answering or denying that he was considering a presidential run.

Giles’ statement said:

“As a life-long conservative Republican, I am troubled when candidates like Roy Moore send the wrong message about my party’s ethics and policies. We need more people like Jeff Flake in the US Senate, not Roy Moore.”

John Giles support of Flake is interesting considering Jeff Flake has the voting record that is hardly that of a “conservative Republican.” Much like that of senior Arizona Senator John McCain. Conservative Review gives Flake a “Liberty Score” of “F,” a paltry 53% out of a possible score of 100:

Last month, Jeff Flake announced that he would not be seeking re-election in 2018, going out in flames with well-publicized criticism against Donald Trump.

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