Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) on Friday issued his strongest statement yet calling out President Trump’s efforts to pressure foreign governments to dig up dirt that could benefit Trump politically.
Referring to Trump’s public calls for Ukraine and China to investigate a political rival, Joe Biden, Romney said it strained credulity to see them as anything but politically motivated.
And that, he said, was “appalling.”
By all appearances, the President’s brazen and unprecedented appeal to China and to Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden is wrong and appalling.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) October 4, 2019
While some senators have advocated for the whistleblower rights of the official who filed a complaint about the events surrounding Trump’s July call with Ukrainan President Volodymyr Zelensky — in which Trump repeatedly pressured Zelensky to look for dirt on the Bidens — the Senate’s Republican majority has not publicly taken issue with the President’s conduct itself.
Last month, before the White House released a memorandum of the call in question, Romney’s comments were a bit more hedged. He tweeted that it would be “troubling in the extreme” if the President had pressured Zelensky to investigate a political rival.
If the President asked or pressured Ukraine’s president to investigate his political rival, either directly or through his personal attorney, it would be troubling in the extreme. Critical for the facts to come out.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) September 22, 2019
He might be looking for it, but I will be surprised if he actually finds it.
He’s the canary in the coal mine for Senate Republicans…if he can stand up to the wave of Trump supporters who are hammering him for pointing out Trump’s wrongdoing, then other Senators will find it possible to do so as well, especially if their seat is safe or in a state that will go Democratic in 2020. It’s too bad for the Republicans that Romney is such a flopping piece of tall grass, but maybe he will find enough spine to hold up under the onslaught, especially if he sees it as “saving” the party.
Yes! Lets be serious here. Justin Amash came out for impeachment, and he is now an independent, and incapable of swaying anyone on the right. As satisfying as his actions are, I am not sure it moved the needle. In hindsight I would rather he criticized Trump’s conduct, made clear he does not support it, but says “I think we need an investigation, but I will not prejudge the results.” That is the way to get other republicans on board.
Mitt is both (a) being cautious and (b) saving his powder. He has made clear that Trump’s actions are NOT acceptable w/o tipping his hat. If done right this puts pressure on others on the Trump train, who will get asked about his comments by the press and the public (see e.g. Video of Jody Earnst(R-ethenol) getting pounded by a voter at a townhall and looking like she would rather be anywhere else but there). The goal is to try to build up pressure.
But if Mitt comes out and says “this is impeachable conduct” (or more accurately in the senate conduct that requires Trump’s removal) well he is suddenly out of the club and will be attacked for “prejudging the investigation.” That will not help others to oppose Trump, but will scare others into silence.
If Romney wants Trump out – and he clearly does – strategically the way to do it is to put pressure on Republicans to break with his ongoing conduct, and assuming that number grows (safety in numbers) it will do so in steps, not all at once.
While I would like Trump to be frog marched out of 1600 Penn Ave, tied to the front fence, and shot for treason before the assembled masses, the reality is that the way he goes is via cracks (see Romney) turning into rivets of water, then the entire structure starts to leak, them bam, the dam gives way.
It’s extremely troubling. It’s brazen, unprecedented, wrong, and appalling. In fact, it strains credulity. If this goes on for much longer I will have no choice but to respectfully suggest that it’s quintessentially disconcerting.
Auditioning for appointment as VP once Pence is dumped.