SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Sept. 14 (Gephardt Daily) — When U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, made the surprise announcement to the Washington Post Wednesday that he wouldn’t seek a second term in the U.S. Senate, it didn’t take long for his nemesis Donald Trump to take a victory lap on social media.
“Fantastic news for America, the Great State of Utah, & for the Republican Party. Mitt Romney … will not be seeking a second term in the U.S. Senate, where he did not serve with distinction. A big primary fight against him was in the offing, but now that will not be necessary. Congrats to all, make America great again,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Romney has long been a burr in Mr. Trump’s saddle, one of the few Republicans with the resolve to openly criticize the embattled ex-president and his MAGA supporters. Romney voted to convict Trump twice during the back-to-back impeachment proceedings in 2020 and 2021, and has repeatedly said the former chief executive is unfit to serve as president.
Romney’s stances have made him a favorite rhetorical target for Trump and his backers, yet the 76-year-old junior senator told the Washington Post he was confident he would win a second term should he run in 2024.
Romney pointed to an August 2023 poll conducted by Dan Jones and Associates for the Deseret News and Hinckley Institute, showing him with a 56% approval rating among Utah voters, up from 40% in May.
In a video statement announcing his decision, Romney, the GOP’s presidential candidate in 2012, said there were a number of factors he took into consideration, most notably his age.
“I’ve spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another. At the end of another term I’d be in my mid-80s. Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders. They’re the ones that need to make the decisions that will shape the world they will be living in,” Romney explained.
He also cited the increasing partisan fervor among House Republicans. “It’s pretty clear that the party is inclined to a populist demagogue message,” Romney told the Post.
Couple that with his personal lack of confidence in the leadership of both President Biden and Trump, Romney said his chances of moving meaningful legislation through Congress as he did in his first term seem less and less likely.
“Contrary to a lot of expectations, I enjoy my work in the Senate a good deal. The last few years have been particularly productive as I was able to help lead and negotiate the bipartisan infrastructure law, a comprehensive China strategy process, religious liberty protections, a compromise gun safety law, the electoral account act reform and emergency COVID relief funding,” Romney said.
“Now we face critical challenges, mounting national debt, climate change, and the ambitious authoritarians of Russia and China. Neither President Biden nor former President Donald Trump are leading their party to confront those issues.
“Donald Trump calls global warming a hoax and President Biden offers feel-good solutions that make no difference to the global climate. On China, President Biden underinvests in the military and President Trump underinvests in our alliances. Political motivations too often impede the solutions that these challenges demand,” Romney said.
“The next generation of leaders must take America to the next stage of global leadership. While I’m not running for re-election, I’m not retiring from the fight.
“I’ll be your United States senator until January of 2025. I will keep working on these and other issues and I’ll advance our state’s numerous priorities. I look forward to working with you and with folks across our state and nation in that endeavor.
“It really is a profound honor to serve Utah and the country, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity to do so,” Romney said.
