Failed 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has spent years distancing himself from the majority of his own party, becoming one of former President Donald Trump’s most vehement critics in the process.
He recently doubled down on his anti-Trump rhetoric in an interview by proclaiming that he would gladly vote for a Democratic candidate over Trump or Vivek Ramaswamy, a 2024 GOP presidential candidate who shares many of the former president’s views.
Did Mitt Romney finally flat-out admit he's a Democrat after saying he would vote for them over Vivek and Trump?
"I'd be happy to vote for a number of the Democrats! I like President Biden."
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) November 28, 2023
Both Trump, who has maintained a commanding lead over other Republicans throughout his bid to secure a third-straight nomination, and Ramaswamy have since responded to Romney’s provocation.
In a statement released through a spokesperson, the Trump campaign asserted: “Voters aren’t going to take advice from a loser and quitter like Mittens.”
Ramaswamy offered a similar take on the matter in a statement of his own.
“Turns out he’s opposed to America-first itself, not just one man,” he said. “Newsflash, Mitt: I didn’t vote for you either, and I still call on your niece Ronna [McDaniel] to resign.”
During the most recent debate, Ramaswamy called out McDaniel by name, urging her to step down as the chair of the Republican National Committee.
After laying out a series of GOP setbacks that he said has made it a “party of losers” under McDaniel’s leadership, he issued a direct challenge.
“We have to have accountability in our party,” he said. “For that matter, Ronna, if you want to come on stage tonight and look the GOP voters in the eye and tell them you resign, I will turn over, yield my time to you.”
Romney and Trump have repeatedly traded blows since the early days of the Trump administration, including when the former announced he would not be seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate where he has represented Utah since 2019.
“Fantastic news for America, the great state of Utah, & for the Republican party,” Trump wrote in response to the announcement. “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. A big primary fight against him was in the offing, but now that will not be necessary. Congrats to all.”
