The top line
Senator. Mitt Romney (the Republican Party of Utah) said Sunday that President Trump will not “go quietly into the night” in the short and long term, anticipating a drawn-out legal battle over the election and a lingering influence on the Republican Party.
US Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) speaks to reporters at the US Capitol on September 21, 2020 in … [+]
Key facts
“It is not disappearing in any way,” Romney told CNN’s State of the Union on Sunday morning, describing Trump as a “gorilla that weighs 900 pounds when it comes to the Republican Party.”
Romney, who challenged Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012, said the Republicans’ loss of the White House, along with gains in the House and the prospect of holding on to the Senate majority, sends a “mixed message” indicating that Americans do not want to take a “sharp left turn in terms of public policy.”
“I don’t think America wants to participate in the Green New Deal or get rid of coal, oil or gas,” Romney said, saying that most Americans want to follow Republican policies and many want to follow Trump’s proposals.
Romney also commented on the direct repercussions of the election, including Trump’s refusal to compromise and promise to file legal challenges, warning that the president may be an appeal to “authoritarians around the world.”
Critical quote
“I would rather see a more graceful departure,” said Romney, “but that is not the nature of a man,” but insisted that Trump is “the strongest voice in our party” who “will have a tremendous impact” in moving forward.
Main background
Romney has been a vocal critic of Trump, particularly in the run-up to the election. He refused to vote for Trump in both 2016 and 2020, but did not comment on whether he had voted for Biden.
What to watch
Trump’s advisers insisted the president would not leave public life, with 2016 Trump campaign advisor Rick Gates, who collaborated with Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation in exchange for a lighter ruling, say He will “seriously consider another round in 2024.”
Further reading
Romney says he did not vote for Trump amid wave of defections in the Republican Party (Forbes)
What is Trump’s next job after his loss? Will he run in 2024? Some advisors see it as a possibility. (USA Today)
