Mitt Romney’s Senate exit may create a vacuum of vocal, conservative Trump critics
SALT LAKE CITY — Of Mitt Romney is about to leave the US Senate, Washington will be without one of its strongest conservative critics of Donald Trump when the president retakes the White House in the new year.
The retiring senator will reflect on his two-decade political career, which included the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, a term as governor of Massachusetts and several skirmishes with Trump loyalists in Congress, at a final news conference Friday in Salt Lake City.
The 77-year-old Romney has chosen not to seek re-election this year after representing Utah in the Senate since 2019. He has said he wants to focus on getting more young people involved in politics after leaving office in January, but he has not shared specific plans.
Romney, once the standard-bearer of the Republican Party, saw his brand of moderate conservatism shift from the establishment to an outlier as Trump took control of the party.
He quickly became the voice of Congress’s centrist core, leading negotiations on the bipartisan $550 billion infrastructure bill — one of the Biden administration’s crowning achievements — and a major COVID-19 relief package.
Political observers fear his departure could create a vacuum of strong centrist voices that could keep bipartisan politics alive at a time of increasing polarization in Washington.
Romney will be succeeded by the Republican in the Senate U.S. Representative John Curtiswho has built a reputation for pushing back against party leaders like Trump who falsely claim this climate change is a hoax. Eyes will be on Curtis and other moderate Republicans who may break with the party in the vote to confirm Trump’s Cabinet picks.
In 2020, Romney became the first senator in American history vote to convict a president of their own party in an impeachment trial. He was the only Republican in Congress to vote to convict Trump during his two impeachments. Trump was acquitted by the Senate both times.
Earlier this year, Romney pledged not to vote for Trump but declined to join some other high-profile Republicans in backing Democrats. Kamala Harrissaying he wanted to preserve his future ability to help rebuild the Republican Party.