Following the backlash over Donald Trump's reported vulgar remarks about several foreign countries, even some Republicans are stepping forward to condemn the comments. One Republican who is going public with his opposition is former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.
Romney on Trump
It was just last week when a bombshell report broke detailing Donald Trump's remarks about certain foreign countries during a bipartisan meeting on immigration reform. When Republican and Democratic members of Congress presented the president the idea of potential protections for immigrants from El Salvador, Haiti, and various African countries, Trump allegedly dismissed the notion and labeled those nations a "sh*thole." Trump has since denied using the word, but did admit to using "tough" language.
As expected, the backlash came quick and dominated the headlines as the commander in chief was once again forced to push back against allegations of bigotry and racism. Fast forward to present day as the country celebrated the life of Martin Luther King Jr. with the cloud of Trump controversy hanging over the nation. While the president sent out a quick tweet on the issue before playing golf in Florida, Mitt Romney gave his thoughts while taking a shot at Trump in the process, as seen on his own Twitter feed on January 15.
The poverty of an aspiring immigrant’s nation of origin is as irrelevant as their race. The sentiment attributed to POTUS is inconsistent w/ America’s history and antithetical to American values. May our memory of Dr. King buoy our hope for unity, greatness, & “charity for all.”
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) January 15, 2018
Taking to Twitter on Monday, Mitt Romney tweeted out praise for the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.
while clapping back at Donald Trump's recent "sh*thole" remarks. "The poverty of an aspiring immigrant’s nation of origin is as irrelevant as their race," Romney said. "The sentiment attributed to POTUS is inconsistent w/ America’s history and antithetical to American values," he added.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney texted a friend that he plans to run for Senate this year, according to a new report https://t.co/TAON5HlAbn pic.twitter.com/mr8geGdsMO
— CNN (@CNN) January 14, 2018
"May our memory of Dr.
King buoy our hope for unity, greatness, and 'charity for all.'" Mitt Romney went on to add. As of press time, Donald Trump has yet to offer a response to Romney's tweet, though the two men have had a documented history of clashing over a variety of issues, including the president blasting the former governor for not winning the 2012 election against Barack Obama.
Romney's Senate run
As Mitt Romney sent out his tweet for MLK Jr. Day, the New York Times reported that the former governor of Massachusetts was privately telling friends that he was going to be running for Senate in his home state of Utah. Current Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch recently announced that he would not seek re-election, leaving a clear path for Romney to the nomination and potential Senate seat.
