SALT LAKE CITY — As Mitt Romney prepares to leave the U.S. Senate, Washington is gearing up for the absence of one of its most vocal conservative critics of Donald Trump, particularly as Trump is poised to reclaim the presidency in the upcoming year.
During a final press conference in Salt Lake City on Friday, the departing senator took time to reflect on his extensive political journey, which began two decades ago. This journey includes his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2012, a stint as the governor of Massachusetts, and numerous confrontations with Trump loyalists in Congress.
In what may have been his last critique of Trump, Romney expressed his unease regarding the incoming president’s character and his “relaxed relationship with the truth.” He shared a hope that his legacy will be one of integrity to his principles.
At 77 years old, Romney decided against running for reelection after serving Utah in the Senate since 2019. He expressed that he feels he has reached the conclusion of his career in elected office and is eager to focus on motivating younger generations to engage in politics once he concludes his tenure in January.
Once viewed as the face of the Republican Party, Romney has witnessed a significant transformation in the party’s identity, as his version of moderate conservatism has become increasingly marginalized in the era of Trump.
“I’m a narrow slice, if you will, of what we used to call the mainstream Republicans,” Romney remarked to reporters on Friday. “The stream has got a little smaller. It’s more like the main creek Republicans. At some point, it’s going to be under the sand, and we’ll have to dig it up.”
He emerged as a leading voice within Congress’ centrist faction, playing a crucial role in negotiations for significant bipartisan initiatives including the $550 billion infrastructure law, which is seen as one of the notable achievements of the Biden administration, alongside a substantial COVID-19 relief effort.
Analysts are expressing concerns that his exit may lead to a shortage of strong centrist figures able to foster bipartisanship amidst heightened political division in Washington.
According to Romney, bipartisanship could potentially become dormant under Trump’s leadership and a Republican-majority Congress. Yet, he believes that moderates shouldn’t lose faith that the GOP might steer back from its right-leaning trajectory.
“There’s kind of a fissure that exists between Republican voters and Republican policy, and that may present an opportunity for some kind of realignment,” he noted, emphasizing that while the party is now largely supported by working-class voters, it frequently opposes efforts to raise the minimum wage and endorse pro-union policies.
In the Senate, Romney will be succeeded by Republican U.S. Representative John Curtis, who has gained a reputation for challenging party leaders, including Trump, who have falsely dismissed climate change. The spotlight will be on Curtis and other moderate Republicans, particularly concerning their willingness to break party lines during votes to confirm Trump’s cabinet appointments.
Notably, in 2020, Romney made history as the first senator to vote to convict a president of his own party during an impeachment trial. He stood alone as the only Republican in Congress to convict Trump in both impeachment proceedings, in which Trump was ultimately acquitted by the Senate.
Earlier this year, although Romney publicly declared he would not support Trump, he refrained from joining other prominent Republicans in endorsing Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, explaining that he wishes to maintain the capacity to influence the Republican Party’s future direction.
