Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) on Wednesday announced in a speech on the Senate floor that he would vote to convict President Donald Trump of abuse of power– one of two articles of impeachment charged by House Democrats. Romney, however, is not voting to convict Trump on obstruction of Congress.
In his announcement, Romney called President Trump’s attempts to withhold military aid to Ukraine in the hope that the country would announce a political investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden “appalling” and “flagrant.”
“The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor. Yes, he did,” Senator Mitt Romney said in remarks on the Senate floor.
“The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust. What he did was not perfect. No, it was a flagrant assault of our electoral rights, our national security, and our fundamental values,” he said in part. … “I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential.”
Not a single GOP senator was in attendance for Romney’s somber remarks on the floor and only a few Democrats were on hand in the chamber, reported The Hill.
Several conservatives took to Twitter to voice their disagreement with Senator Mitt Romney. (Continued Below)
Sen. Mitt Romney’s niece, Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, said on Twitter Wednesday: “This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last. The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him.”
“I, along with the @GOP, stand with President Trump,” she added.
Donald Trump Jr. took to Twitter to denounce the Utah senator, claiming that he is “forever bitter that he will never be” president. “He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so he’s joining them now. He’s now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the @GOP,” he recommended. (Continued Below)
Mitt Romney’s official remarks:
Ronna McDaniel’s official tweet:
This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last.
The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him.
I, along with the @GOP, stand with President Trump.
— Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) February 5, 2020
Donald Trump Jr.’s official tweet:
Mitt Romney is forever bitter that he will never be POTUS. He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so he’s joining them now.
He’s now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the @GOP.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 5, 2020
(Continued Below)
Terrence Williams posted a video calling Sen. Romney a “jealous loser”.
MITT ROMNEY IS A JEALOUS LOSER
Senator Snake aka Senator Romney is voting to convict President Trump
Romney is jealous because he will never become President like
President @realDonaldTrumpSick of Mitt & glad Trump is the President & not him
Who’s with me?#SenatorSnake pic.twitter.com/5Fd0W2sV5n
— Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) February 5, 2020
Mitt Romney absolutely despises that Donald Trump was elected POTUS & he was not. The sore loser mentality launched this sham impeachment & corruptly rigged & jammed it through the House. It looks like Schiff recruited himself a sore loser buddy on the GOP side to play along.
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) February 5, 2020
Oh my God.
Now Romney is claiming that prayer led him to vote for Trump's conviction.
Wow Mitt, I'm not standing within 100 miles of you or Pelosi during a thunderstorm.
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) February 5, 2020
Romney's speech proves he IS John McCain. Fine, Republicans, do the cowardly thing, but please stop demanding that we admire your courage. https://t.co/4MshZDGwfs
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) February 5, 2020