Jeff Flake actually said...
There's an undeniable potency to populous appeal by mischaracterizing or misunderstanding our problems and giving in to the impulse scapegoat and belittle. The impulse and scapegoat and belittle threatens to turns us into a fearful back ward looking people. And the case of the Republican Party and those things also threaten to turn us into a fearful back ward looking minority party.
Context
Flake warns about the dangers of populism within the Republican Party and its potential to marginalize the party.
10/23/2017