Retiring Sen. Mitt Romney said he would not be voting for former President Donald Trump if it comes down to a rematch with Democratic President Joe Biden in November.
“No, no, no, absolutely not,” Mr. Romney, the GOP standard-bearer in the 2012 presidential election against President Obama, told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins Wednesday.
The Utah Republican said there are “two factors” he looks for in someone he wants to lead the country and the “person who is the example of the president for my kids and grandkids” – policy positions and character.
“What America is as a nation, what has allowed us to be the most powerful nation on Earth … is the character of the people who have been our leaders,” he said. “Past presidents, but also mothers, fathers, church leaders, university presidents, and so forth.”
“Having a president who is so defaulted of character would have an enormous impact on the character of America. And for me, that’s the primary consideration,” he said.
Mr. Romney said when it comes to policy, he doesn’t find himself aligned with Mr. Trump on foreign policy, but agrees with him on many of domestic issues.
And he said he disagrees with Mr. Trump’s Republican presidential rival, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, when she says that if Mr. Trump is the nominee, the Republicans will lose the election.
“I don’t necessarily agree with that. That’s a good campaign line, I’m sure,” he said. “Today it’s kind of a toss-up, but if the election were actually held today, I think [Mr. Trump] would probably win.”
If the former president does win, he said, it would mean a “dramatic change in our foreign policy.”
“I think that people around the world would say, ‘OK, America is no longer the leader of the free world and the arsenal of democracy,’” Mr. Romney said. “‘It’s not the shining city on a hill. It’s now an isolated island.’”
Mr. Romney, 76, announced in September he would not be seeking third term for his Senate seat.
The Washington Times has reached out to the Trump campaign for comment.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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