Retiring Mitt Romney Calls For A New Generation Of Leaders: Republican Senator for Utah and former presidential nominee Mitt Romney called for a “new generation of leaders” when announcing his political retirement earlier this week.
The 76-year-old, whose political career spans over 20 years, said he will not seek reelection and step down when his first term as senator ends in January 2025. A former governor of Massachusetts, Romney’s retirement marks the end of a career for one of the GOP’s most prominent critics of former president Donald Trump.
Romney used his retirement speech to criticize the Republican frontrunner, 77, and the 80-year-old President Biden. “At the end of another term, I’d be in my mid-80s,” said Sen. Romney. “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.”
“While I’m not running for reelection, I’m not retiring from the fight,” Romney added before the 2012 Republican presidential nominee outlined the issues he sees with both Biden and Trump.
“On deficits and debt, both men refuse to address entitlements even though they know that this represents two-thirds of federal spending. 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,” he said.
The Old Guard GOP Still Loves Mitt Romney
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell praised Romney following the announcement. “The US Senate is known to attract bright and proven public servants. However, we rarely get to welcome new Senators already as accomplished and well-regarded as Mitt Romney. The Senate has been fortunate to call our friend from Utah a colleague these past four and a half years, and I am sorry to learn that he will depart our ranks at the end of next year,” McConnell said, adding, “I know the Senate is relieved that we will continue to benefit from Senator Romney’s expertise throughout the coming year.”
Biography Blasts Trump
One of Trump’s fiercest conservative opponents, Romney made history in 2020 when he became the first senator to vote against his party’s president during Trump’s first impeachment. A new biography by McKay Coppins appears to only add to the criticism, according to a new excerpt published Wednesday.
“A very large portion of my party really doesn’t believe in the Constitution,” Romney told Coppins, who recounts his experience of January 6, 2021, in the biography. He expressed his shock at the “disingenuousness” of his Republican colleagues who continued to object to the electoral college proceedings, adding, “They know better! Josh Hawley is one of the smartest people in the Senate, if not the smartest, and Ted Cruz could give him a run for his money.”
Sen. Romney reportedly told Coppins that other Republican senators voted to acquit Trump during his second impeachment due to fear for their safety, while also recognizing concerns about Biden’s capability to run. “I was afraid that Biden, in his advanced years, would be incapable of making the argument,” he said.
Romney: A Reckoning is due to be released on October 24, 2023.
Shay Bottomley is a British journalist based in Canada. He has written for the Western Standard, Maidenhead Advertiser, Slough Express, Windsor Express, Berkshire Live and Southend Echo, and has covered notable events including the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
