Republican Utah Sen. Mitt Romney stopped short of calling Trump a racist for his Sunday tweets that called on progressive Democrats to leave the country if they didn’t like the United States.
“That’s all I got, thanks,” said Romney as he walked away from an interview with Alison King of NBC10 Boston. (RELATED: Trump To Progressives: Fix Where You Came From First)
on whether Trump tweet is racist. pic.twitter.com/b0A8E2QChh
— Alison King NBC10 Boston (@AlisonNBCBoston) July 15, 2019
“I certainly feel a number of these new members of Congress have views that are not consistent with my experience and not consistent with building a strong America,” said Romney. King noted that he later added, “At the same time, I recognize that the Pres has a unique and noble calling to unite all Americans regardless of our creeds or race or place of our national origin and I think in that case, the Pres fell far short.”
@MittRomney. “At the same time, I recognize that the Pres has a unique and noble calling to unite all Americans regardless of our creeds or race or place of our national origin and I think in that case, the Pres fell far short.” Were comments racist? Answer @NBC10Boston 5pm.
— Alison King NBC10 Boston (@AlisonNBCBoston) July 15, 2019
The tweets themselves were made on Sunday evening by Trump and have caused a lot of controversy, with Democratic Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Ayanna Pressley all hosting a joint conference Monday night to “fire back” at Trump.
WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 15: (L-R) U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) speaks as Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) listen during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on July 15, 2019 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump stepped up attacks on the four progressive Democratic congresswomen, saying that if they’re not happy in the U.S., “they can leave.” (Photo by Alex Wroblewski/Getty Images)
Romney, in the past, has not been afraid to stray away from the rest of the Republican Party and openly criticize Trump. After the Mueller report was released, Romney stated on Twitter, “I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President.” (RELATED: Mitt Romney Takes Flak From Trump Supporters For Mueller Statement)
He continued saying, “I am also appalled that, among other things, fellow citizens working in a campaign for president welcomed help from Russia — including information that had been illegally obtained; that none of them acted to inform American law enforcement; and that the campaign chairman was actively promoting Russian interests in Ukraine.”
I have now read the redacted Mueller report and offer my personal reaction: pic.twitter.com/ACnExskqXJ
— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) April 19, 2019
During the 2016 election Romney used even harsher language saying, “Trump is a phony, a fraud.”
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