Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney will start the next chapter of his political career tomorrow, by announcing a run for the U.S. Senate in Utah over social media.
The Washington Examiner first reported Romney’s plans, though the former Massachusetts governor had dropped a not-so-subtle hint on February 1, saying on Twitter that he was ‘looking forward’ to making an announcement about the race on February 15.
Included in the tweet was a link to MittRomney.com, which asked potential supporters for their information to ‘Join Team Mitt.’
Former Republican nominee and ex-Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will restart his political career tomorrow, announcing on social media that he plans to seek the Utah Senate seat being vacated by Sen. Orrin Hatch
Earlier this month, Mitt Romney sent out this tweet announcing that he planned to make an announcement about his Senate prospects on February 15
Mitt Romney’s tweet linked to his website, MittRomney.com, which in a not-so-subtle way asked interested parties for their information so they could ‘Join Team Mitt’
President-elect Trump (left) briefly flirted with making Mitt Romney (right) his secretary of state, inviting him to dinner in November 2016. That never happened, likely because Trump never forgave Romney for his March 2016 speech labeling Trump a ‘phony’ and a ‘fraud’
In hitting back at Mitt Romney (left), then-candidate Donald Trump (right) said at a March 2016 campaign rally that Romney was ‘begging for my endorsement. I could have said, “Mitt, drop to your knees.” He would have dropped to his knees.’ Trump endorsed Romney in February 2012
He’s since posted on Facebook reminding users of the forthcoming announcement.
While his initial roll-out will be low key, Romney is expected to address Republican grassroots supporters Friday at the Utah County Republican Party Lincoln Day dinner.
Romney was always supposed to keynote the event, but will now use it as a platform to start to get his campaign message out, the Examiner said.
The 2012 GOP nominee is not expected to field much competition in the race, which is for the seat currently occupied by Sen. Orrin Hatch, an 83-year-old Republican who announced his retirement early last month.
As soon as Hatch signaled he was out, Romney changed his location on his Twitter account to Holladay, Utah, one of the two locales where he owns homes in the state.
Despite his late father being a politician in Michigan and Romney, himself, serving as governor in Massachusetts, he has a deep relationship with the state, especially because of his Mormon faith.
In December, Utah Republicans came to Romney’s defense when former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon charged that he ‘hid’ behind his religion to avoid service in Vietnam.
Bannon went on the attack after Romney criticized the ex-aide’s continued support for GOP Senate candidate Roy Moore in Alabama. Moore had been accused by multiple women of preying on them, sexually, as teenagers.
With Bannon still in good graces with President Trump at that time, the episode further exposed the continued rift between Romney and the White House.
Additionally, Trump had encouraged Hatch to stay in the Senate, in hopes of maintaining an ally in the body over Romney, who could replace retiring Sen. Jeff Flake as the president’s most vocal thorn in his side from the Republican Party.
While Trump had briefly considered Romney to be his secretary of state, it seems to two men never quite buried the hatchet.
Romney, in what was an unprecedented move from a former presidential nominee, inserted himself into the 2016 primary begging voters to select anybody-but-Trump.
‘And let me put it very plainly,’ he said in March 2016. ‘If we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished.’
Romney went on to talk about the now-president’s failed businesses.
‘A business genius he is not,’ Romney said.
The ex-nominee also called out Trump for his ‘misogyny,’ his lying and his love of Russian leader Vladimir Putin, months before the Russian election meddling was known about.
Romney, most famously, also labeled Trump a ‘phony’ and a ‘fraud.’
Trump hit back at Romney at a rally in Maine the next day.
‘I don’t know what happened to him,’ Trump said, who had previously mocked the ex-nominee for running ‘one of the worst races in presidential history.’
‘You can see how loyal he is. He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said, “Mitt, drop to your knees.” He would have dropped to his knees,’ candidate Trump said in classic Trumpian fashion.