Sen.-elect Mitt Romney was scolded Wednesday by his niece, GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, for launching a blistering attack on President Trump before being sworn into the Senate.
Mrs. McDaniel said it was “disappointing and unproductive” for her uncle, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee and former Massachusetts governor, to side with Democrats and the news media to undermine Mr. Trump.
“POTUS is attacked and obstructed by the MSM media and Democrats 24/7. For an incoming Republican freshman senator to attack @realdonaldtrump as their first act feeds into what the Democrats and media want and is disappointing and unproductive,” she wrote on Twitter.
POTUS is attacked and obstructed by the MSM media and Democrats 24/7. For an incoming Republican freshman senator to attack @realdonaldtrump as their first act feeds into what the Democrats and media want and is disappointing and unproductive. https://t.co/ArhI7Bi7bo
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) January 2, 2019
In an op-ed column in The Washington Post, Mr. Romney said that Mr. Trump’s conduct in office and recent actions in world affairs had “defined his presidency down.”
“On balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions last month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office,” he wrote.
Mr. Romney was an outspoken Republican opponent of Mr. Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign. He appeared intent on reviving that role as a member of the Senate.
His relationship with Mr. Trump has run hot and cold. After championing the “Never Trump” movement in the GOP, Mr. Romney cozied up to Mr. Trump as president. He auditioned for secretary of state and later sought — and received — Mr. Trump’s endorsement in the Senate race in Utah.
Mr. Romney said his job now would be to support Mr. Trump when he can and speak out against him when he must.
“I will act as I would with any president, in or out of my party: I will support policies that I believe are in the best interest of the country and my state, and oppose those that are not. I do not intend to comment on every tweet or fault. But I will speak out against significant statements or actions that are divisive, racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, dishonest or destructive to democratic institutions,” Mr. Romney said in the op-ed.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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