Lame duck Sen. Romney doubles down on Trump attacks

In a recent interview with CBS’s Norah O’Donnell, Senator Mitt Romney of Utah expressed his willingness to support various candidates in the 2024 field, emphasizing that nearly any Republican contender, with the exception of Vivek Ramaswamy, would be acceptable to him. Romney, a retiring senator, stated, “I’d be happy to support virtually any one of the Republicans, maybe not Vivek, but the others that are running would be acceptable to me, and I’d be happy to vote for them.”

Romney’s openness extended beyond party lines, as he noted, “I’d be happy to vote for a number of the Democrats too. It would be an upgrade, in my opinion, from Donald Trump and perhaps also from Joe Biden.”

The 76-year-old senator, who announced his decision not to seek reelection in September, faced disparaging comments from President Trump and his allies following the announcement. Trump, referencing Romney’s pseudonym “Pierre Delecto” used for a private Twitter account, wrote in all caps on Truth Social, “Mitt Romney, sometimes referred to as Pierre Delecto, will not be seeking a second term in the U.S. Senate, where he did not serve with distinction.”

In explaining his retirement, Romney cited his age and expressed the need for a new generation of leaders to shape the world’s future. Throughout his tenure, Romney emerged as one of Trump’s most outspoken critics within the Senate Republican ranks. He notably voted to impeach Trump twice and consistently labeled the 45th president as a threat to the country.

Romney’s biographer, in a late October interview, hinted at the possibility of the senator endorsing Joe Biden in the future. McKay Coppins stated, “I would keep an eye out for whether Romney does something like endorse Joe Biden late in the election. I mean, I have no idea, I haven’t talked to him about this. I would not be shocked if he did.”