SALT LAKE CITY — with that Mitt Romney Poised to leave the US Senate, Washington will be without some of its fiercest critics of Donald Trump when the president retakes the White House in the new year.
The retiring senator will reflect on his two-decade political career, which includes the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, a term as governor of Massachusetts and several clashes with Trump loyalists in Congress, during his final news conference in Salt Lake City on Friday.
Romney, 77, chose not to run for re-election this year after serving in the Utah Senate since 2019. He said that after leaving office in January, he wants to direct more young people to participate in politics, but he did not share any specific plans.
Once the standard-bearer of the Republican Party, Romney saw his brand of moderate conservatism shift to outside the establishment as Trump took over the party.
He soon became the voice of the centrist core of Congress, leading negotiations for a bipartisan $550 billion infrastructure bill — one of the Biden administration’s crowning achievements — and a major COVID-19 relief package.
Political observers worry that his departure could create a vacuum of strong centrist voices who could keep bipartisanship alive at a time of increasing polarization in Washington.
Romney will be replaced by a Republican in the Senate US Representative John Curtiswho has developed a reputation for pushing back against party leaders like Trump who make false claims climate change it’s a scam Eyes will be on Curtis and other moderate Republicans who could break with the party in confirmation votes for Trump’s Cabinet picks.
In 2020, Romney became the first senator in US history vote to condemn a president of his party in the impeachment trial. He was the only Republican in Congress to convict Trump in both of his impeachment trials. Trump was acquitted twice by the Senate.
Earlier this year, Romney pledged not to vote for Trump, but refused to join other high-profile Republicans in backing the Democrat. Kamala HarrisSaying he wanted to preserve his future ability to help rebuild the Republican Party.
