Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, reiterated his issues toward a second administration of former President Donald Trump, but stopped short of endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris.
Speaking at the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah on Tuesday, Romney was given an opportunity to endorse Harris like many in the old guard of the Republican Party already have.
Instead, Romney chose to punt the question saying, "I’ve made it very clear that I don’t want Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States."
Romney told the audience that he feels the Republican Party will need "to be rebuilt or reorientated" regardless of the outcome of the election and hoped to play a role in those efforts. Harris has received Republican endorsements from former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, former Vice President Dick Cheney, and dozens of staffers from former President George W. Bush.
"I believe I will have more influence in the party by virtue of saying it as I’ve said it," he said. "I’m not planning on changing the way I’ve described it."
Trump and Romney have endured a complicated political relationship over the years beginning with mutual endorsements and ending with rancorous social media posts.
Upon learning that Romney would not seek reelection in 2024, Trump wrote, "Mitt Romney, a total loser that only a mother could love, just wrote a book which is, much like him, boring, horrible, and totally predictable.
"I am very proud to be the one who forced this Left Leaning RINO out of politics. He wanted to run sooo badly, but knew he couldn’t win in the great State of Utah without my Endorsement and Support, so he QUIT."
Romney will end his term in the U.S. Senate holding the distinction of being the only Republican in the upper chamber to vote to impeach Trump during his first impeachment trial.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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