Former President Donald Trump‘s go to with Republicans on Capitol Hill final week did nothing to win over outgoing Sen. Mitt Romney to his trigger.
Romney, 77, had initially deliberate to provide the presumptive Republican nominee’s DC assembly with the Utahan’s Senate colleagues a miss — however modified his plans after his flight was canceled.
“I didn’t go there to assist former President Trump. I went there to take heed to what he was planning on doing if he turned president,” Romney instructed CNN Tuesday.
“With President Trump, it’s a matter of private character. I draw a line and say when somebody has been truly discovered to have been sexually assaulting, that’s one thing I simply received’t cross over within the individual I’d wish to have as president of the USA.”
Romney was referencing Trump being discovered liable in Could 2023 for sexual abuse and defamation of columnist E. Jean Carroll. In the end, a courtroom demanded the presumptive Republican nominee pony up $88.3 million throughout two verdicts for defamation.
Trump has strenuously denied the accusations and pledged to enchantment the ruling.
Final Thursday, Trump met with each Home and Senate Republicans throughout a swing by means of the nation’s capital, which included his first face-to-face assembly with outgoing Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) since leaving workplace in January 2021.
Romney, who was the newest Republican presidential standard-bearer previous to Trump, has lengthy opposed the actual property mogul.
Again in 2016, Romney wrote in his spouse, Ann, for the presidency and he has lengthy publicly declared that he received’t vote for Trump come Nov. 5.
Shortly after the 2016 election, Romney dined with Trump and briefly toyed with the thought of in search of the secretary of state place, however was handed over in favor of Rex Tillerson.
In 2018, Romney efficiently vied for the Senate and acquired Trump’s official stamp of approval. However, throughout his tenure, Romney emerged as one in all Trump’s most outspoken GOP critics.
He was the one Republican senator who voted to convict Trump in his first impeachment trial and in addition backed a conviction within the forty fifth president’s second impeachment trial following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
Romney introduced final yr that he wouldn’t pursue re-election, citing his age and a need to step apart for the subsequent era.
