Mitt Romney slams Biden for wanting to ‘crack down on rich people’ and taking ‘cheap shots’ at Republicans but says president did a ‘good job’ on Ukraine and Gaza in his State of the Union
- Romney said Biden’s shots ‘miss the mark’ and stressed Republicans don’t want to cut Social Security after Biden’s State of the Union address
- The Utah senator said he was “disappointed.” Biden did not become more “serious” in his speech about tackling the national debt and budget deficit
- Romney praised Biden’s words on Ukraine and Israel
Republican Senator Mitt Romney isn’t happy with what President Biden had to say in his State of the Union address, in which he called the president’s domestic policies “the same liberal playbook.”
The Utah senator attended the president’s fiery speech Thursday evening during a joint session of Congress, where he sat with another retiring senator, Democrat Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
After the speech, Romney shared his review in a video on X.
“There were some new chapters, but the same idea: here are some things I’m going to give you, here are some more things I’m going to give you. This is how I’m going to tackle big corporations and rich people,” the senator said.
Romney said he thinks people are tired of that message and know the president can’t deliver on those promises.
“Every promise he makes has to get Republican votes, and he won’t get Republican votes for that,” Romney said.
Biden greeted Senators Romney and Manchin as he headed to the podium to deliver his State of the Union address, where he could be heard telling Manchin that Romney has “complete integrity.”
Romney also said people know the “cheap shots at Republicans are likely to miss the point.”
In his speech, Biden warned that many Republicans want to put Social Security “on the chopping block.”
Romney emphasized that there is no Republican in the House of Representatives or the Senate who talks about cutting Social Security or who supports cutting Social Security.
For years, some Republicans have argued that benefits should be reexamined and some have even recently proposed raising the retirement age, but many within the GOP have pushed aside ideas, as Biden also addressed the issue in last year’s speech.
“That’s just not true,” Romney said.
The multimillionaire senator also clapped back at Biden’s claim that billionaires only pay a tax rate of about 8 percent, calling it “simply wrong.”
Biden engaged in a call-and-response with lawmakers over whether the tax code was fair, arguing that billionaires and big corporations should “pay their fair share.”
Biden has called for raising the corporate tax rate to 28 percent, the minimum tax on corporations to 21 percent, a 25 percent income tax on those with more than $100 million and ending other tax breaks for the wealthy to help pay for his priorities . .
Biden delivered a fiery State of the Union address in which he challenged Republicans on the tax law
Romney was seen chatting with fellow retiring Senator Joe Manchin during the president’s State of the Union address
But Romney’s biggest complaint was that he was “disappointed” that Biden didn’t get “more serious” about the deficit and debt.
“The debt is enormous and it threatens us,” Romney warned. “Interest payments will exceed our military spending this year. This is a problem.’
The US national debt has reached more than $34 trillion. The White House said Biden’s proposed tax increases, aimed at billionaires and the largest corporations, would reduce the budget deficit by $3 trillion over 10 years.
“He had some quick things: ‘we’re going to make corporations pay a certain amount, we’re going to try to raise taxes on billionaires,’ those things are not going to happen,” Romney said. “They’re not realistic.”
But it wasn’t just criticism from the outgoing senator.
“I think he’s done a good job on foreign policy,” Romney said. “It is very much in the American interest that Ukraine pushes back against Putin.”
“Putin is a terrible guy, a bad guy,” Romney continued. “And it is an American interest to prevent Putin from invading not only other parts of Central Europe, but also NATO countries that could draw us into conflict.”
Romney also liked what the president had to say about Israel and Gaza.
“He also spoke well about Israel and also about the need to help Palestinian individuals in Gaza with humanitarian assistance,” the senator said.
Biden stopped to shake hands with Romney and Manchin as he walked to the podium to deliver his remarks Thursday evening.
The president pointed to Romney and told Manchin, “He has complete integrity.” That’s a fact.’