In an exclusive interview after announcing he will not seek re-election, the senator predicts the GOP's 'Trump fever will ultimately break'

Mitt Romney has said he will stand down from the Senate at the next election, as he called for politicians in their eighties to “move on” and argued the Republican Party has been captured by a “super MAGA” faction.

The Utah senator, 76, said he would not seek a second term in Congress after a career spanning three decades and two presidential bids.

Speaking to The Telegraph on Tuesday, Mr Romney criticised politicians still in office in their 80s, including Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi, hit out at the “baby boomer generation” and called for the GOP to return to the moderate centre-Right.

The senator bemoaned the success of Donald Trump, who has been leading primary polls since he announced his candidacy in March, and pledged to focus on climate change and US debt in his remaining months in office.

  • aelwero@lemmy.world
    10·
    1 year ago

    I wouldn’t vote for this dude in a POTUS run (he was, in actual fact, the reason for my only democrat POTUS vote so far…), as he doesn’t quite fall into the centrist zone for me personally, but I do respect the fact that he’s stayed far closer to center than most Republicans, and I likewise respect that he can actually recognize that DC has turned into an old folks activity center and is willing to set an example by bowing out of it.

    Godspeed bud. Enjoy the fishing, and I hope you end up hitting it on the nose with the trump fever wearing off :)

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      36·
      1 year ago

      This just shows how far the Overton Window has moved when Mitt Romney is being described as being remotely close to the center.

    • evatronic@lemm.eeEnglish
      23·
      1 year ago

      Nope.

      This fuckstick, along with 49 other Republicans is currently and actively obstructing things like military promotions.

      He is part of the reason Trump was able to steal 3 SCOTUS seats.

    • willywonkawashere@lemmy.world
      19·
      1 year ago

      He will be busy fishing for new companies to buy and destroy. He will cause many people to be laid off so he can earn another $50 million.

    • Zorque@kbin.social
      9·
      1 year ago

      he was, in actual fact, the reason for my only democrat POTUS vote so far…

      If that was your only metric for voting not-Republican (because dont kid yourself, third party votes for presidenct is just voting for no one) then you’ve got far more issues than moderate republican running.

      • DagonPie@kbin.social
        3·
        1 year ago

        Stop hating on 3rd party votes. Just because they dont matter to you doesnt mean they dont matter to other people. Thats an asshat take.

        • Zorque@kbin.social
          3·
          1 year ago

          I dont hate them, I want them to succeed… but they’re not going to do it at the national stage. Not yet. Theyre important in state and local races, but for national races the two big.parties have a strangle hold on both the election rules and the attention of the public. To believe otherwise is naive.

          If you want to vote your principals over practicality, thats your choice… just know you’re basically voting nothing.

          • PsychedSy@sh.itjust.works
            1·
            1 year ago

            How do you think we get ballot access? Federal elections. So the votes are in fact important to third parties. Ballot access is a huge deal.

            • Zorque@kbin.social
              1·
              1 year ago

              I’d say female bodily autonomy is more important. I’d say workers rights (to the limited degree that Democrats fight for them) is more important. I’d say equal rights for the disenfranchised, not just in name… but in actuality, are more important.

              Its nice to have ballot access for federal elections, but when all it does is put your name on a piece of paper in a section the vast majority of people are never even going to look at… there are many more important things that need seeing to, first.

              • PsychedSy@sh.itjust.works
                1·
                1 year ago

                And we were out there distributing stickers and running protests and Kansas still has abortion.

                I don’t think you really understand how important ballot access is. It’s not just a name on a piece of paper. It allows the party to run candidates without having to jump through hoops and directly leads to third party seats in local elections.

    • jscummy@sh.itjust.works
      5·
      1 year ago

      reason for my only democrat POTUS vote so far…

      doesn’t quite fall into the centrist zone for me personally

      So…uh…who were you voting for in the other elections?