Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) praised Vice President Kamala Harris’ debate efficiency Wednesday, arguing that the Democratic nominee demonstrated that she is “clever” and “succesful” in her first showdown towards former President Donald Trump.
Romney, a longtime Trump critic who has refused to vote for the GOP nominee for president going again to 2016, instructed reporters on Capitol Hill that the ABC Information debate proved Harris can “reply questions from the media.”
“These have been answered effectively. She spoke effectively and clearly and I believe she prosecuted her case effectively,” the Utah Republican mentioned.
Romney, who misplaced the 2012 White Home race to former President Barack Obama, argued that Harris made probably the most of her alternative to differentiate herself from Trump earlier than some 58 million viewers.
“Most individuals didn’t know her terribly effectively apart from a number of clips that weren’t flattering, that you just may see on the web,” Romney mentioned.
“And folks noticed, truly, she’s an clever, succesful one who has a viewpoint on points,” he added. “And he or she truly demonstrated that repeatedly.”
In the meantime, the previous Massachusetts governor argued that Trump’s efficiency was simply that — “a efficiency.”
“This was traditional President Trump,” Romney mentioned.
“President Trump prosecuted his case as he wished to,” he added.
Harris, 59, invoked Romey’s identify at one level within the debate, touting having the assist of “200 Republicans who’ve previously labored with President [George W] Bush, Mitt Romney, and John McCain.”
Romney himself hasn’t endorsed Harris however declared earlier this 12 months that he would “completely not” be voting for Trump.
“With President Trump, it’s a matter of non-public character,” the 77-year-old senator mentioned of the GOP nominee in June. “I draw a line and say when somebody has been truly discovered to have been sexually assaulting, that’s one thing I simply gained’t cross over within the particular person I’d need to have as president of america.”
Final month, Harris pledged to nominate a Republican to her Cupboard, if elected, in her solely sitdown interview since changing President Biden on the Democratic ticket.
Some anti-Trump Republicans “hope” will probably be Romney.
“We hope that [Harris] invitations [Romney] to serve in some capability if she wins,” Haley Voters for Harris, a political motion committee backing Harris within the election, wrote on X.
“Whether or not he endorses her or not, he’s a patriot who believes in a powerful America and solutions the decision of service,” the group of former Nikki Haley supporters added.