PHOENIX (AP) -- When President Donald Trump takes the stage this week at a rally in Arizona, the state's junior senator will be nowhere to be seen. But Trump is likely to save some choice words for Sen. Jeff Flake.
The Republican senator is currently in an escalating feud with the president - a spat that illustrates the upside-down world of Republican politics heading into the 2018 elections.
Flake is trying to hold onto a seat that the party needs to keep control of Congress. Meanwhile, the president from his own party is actively campaigning against him and Flake is returning the punches.
The dynamic highlights the ongoing turmoil in the GOP over how to closely to align with a deeply unpopular president who still retains a devoted base of supporters.
