Yesterday, Republican Sen. Mitt Romney was the only member of his party to vote in favor of convicting President Trump in the infamous impeachment trial. Over the years, Trump and Romney have shared a tumultuous relationship. Despite the then-future president’s endorsement of Romney’s 2012 presidential run, the latter would still go on to lose to Obama.
When President Trump announced his candidacy for the White House, Romney infamously gave a speech which essentially implored Republicans not to support Trump. Still, in 2018, Trump endorsed Romney’s campaign for the Utah Senate seat, stating that Romney would do an excellent job.
“Mitt Romney” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Gage Skidmore
Yesterday, Romney effectively committed political suicide with his vote to convict Trump in the impeachment trial. The senator is presently facing immense, unspeakable backlash from members of the GOP, as documented by Breitbart News. At best, conservatives are coming out and stating that Romney is wrong; however, there is also talk about Romney facing expulsion from the Republican Party altogether.
Why Did Romney Vote to Convict Trump?
When speaking about his vote on the Senate floor, Romney professed that the Senate, not the American people, ought to determine whether or not Trump remained in office. The Senate most certainly decided; however, it goes without saying that the upper chamber collectively disagreed with Romney and made this clear by their votes to acquit the president.
This decision has backfired on Romney big time, perhaps more than even he anticipated. While leftists and others who previously badmouthed Romney during his 2012 presidential run, rallied behind him and thanked him yesterday, his own party did precisely the opposite. Countless Republican senators came out with censure against Romney; Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell noted his own feelings of “surprise and disappointment” at the manner in which Romney chose to vote.
Donald Trump jr., the president’s eldest son took to social media, stating that Romney ought to be expelled from the Republican Party. Likewise, President Trump himself hasn’t hesitated to criticize Romney either.
Can Romney Ever Come Back from This?
As it currently stands, there’s no indication that Romney will ever be able to redeem himself within the GOP. While the Utah senator is not presently expelled from the party, expulsion could be coming his way quite soon. To say that conservatives are not at all pleased with Romney would be a massive understatement.
“Mitt Romney” (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Gage Skidmore
Later today, President Trump is set to share remarks about the impeachment sham and his subsequent acquittal in the Senate. There is a very real possibility that the president will have additional commentary about Romney and his status as the only GOP senator to support conviction.
At the end of the day, only time will tell whether or not Romney manages to come back from this; however, it’s not something that he — or anyone else — should hold their breath waiting for.
What do you think about Mitt Romney’s vote to convict President Trump in yesterday’s Senate impeachment trial? Do you believe that Romney will ever manage to redeem himself within the Republican Party? Let us know in the comments section below!
