Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) had a rough night on Tuesday.
In a viral video posted on Twitter, a woman films herself walking up to Romney at a terminal in Utah’s Salt Lake City airport and grilling him on his refusal to vote against certifying President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory, as President Donald Trump has demanded Republican lawmakers do when Congress counts the votes on Wednesday.
“Why aren’t you supporting President Trump?” the woman asks the GOP senator.
Romney tells her that “the constitutional process is clear” and tries to walk away from the woman, who continues to berate the lawmaker as she follows him around.
“You’re a joke. Absolute joke,” the woman tells him.
Utah Patriots catch Rino Romney at Salt Lake City international airport! He thinks he’s above his constituents!!! Openly bashing @realDonaldTrump!!!
“These people won’t be able to walk down the street.”
VOLUME UP! ☝? pic.twitter.com/Lntgozkajx
— Qtah (@Utah_17) January 6, 2021
Then Romney found himself trapped on a plane full of similarly angry Trump supporters on a flight to D.C. who chanted “traitor!” at him, as shown in another video. One of them shouted “Resign, Mitt!”
Mitt Romney, in a flight full of patriots in their way to DC pic.twitter.com/t9uq3vkCo5
— Non timebo mala (@AncPerl) January 5, 2021
MAGA devotees are flocking to Washington to protest the election certification on Wednesday as Trump persistently refuses to accept his defeat and instead peddles lies claiming that the election had been “stolen” from him through voter fraud.
Romney brushed off the incident while speaking to reporters on Wednesday.
“That’s something I’ve gotten used to over the years,” he told them. “That’s the nature of politics, unfortunately.”
Unsurprisingly, Trump reveled in the episode while giving a speech at the MAGA protest.
“I wonder if he enjoyed his flight in last night,” he said as the crowd jeered.
Romney, who announced during the election that he had not voted for Trump, is one of several Republican senators who have pushed back against some of their colleagues’ scheme to disrupt the certification proceedings in a doubtlessly futile attempt to steal the election for Trump.
“The egregious ploy to reject electors may enhance the political ambition of some, but dangerously threatens our Democratic Republic,” Romney said in a statement on Sunday.
Trump has often singled out Romney as a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only), particularly after the Utah lawmaker voted to convict him during the Senate impeachment trial earlier this year.
I encourage you to watch the videos - these people are f*ing…embarassing?
This era will not end peacefully. Hope the GOP senators have their security beefed up.
I hope he declares himself as an independent. Changing parties is too big an ask. Then again, we have Manchin to keep Mitt company. Big tent, etc.
I was surprised that Mittens seemingly doesn’t travel with any security…
These people are a salute short of nazis.