Trump endorses Romney in run for U.S. Senate seat in Utah

[webfact]

Trump endorses Romney in run for U.S. Senate seat in Utah

By David Shepardson

 

Former U.S. presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at the Utah County Republican Party Lincoln Day Dinner, in Provo, Utah, U.S. February 16, 2018. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump on Monday endorsed former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's run for a U.S. Senate seat in Utah, despite Romney often being critical of Trump.

 

During the 2016 presidential campaign, Romney excoriated Trump as a "fraud" who was "playing the American public for suckers." Trump responded that Romney had "choked like a dog" in his 2012 campaign against President Barack Obama.

 

Trump said on Twitter that Romney "will make a great Senator and worthy successor to @OrrinHatch, and has my full support and endorsement!" Romney announced Friday he would run to replace retiring Senator Orrin Hatch.

 

Romney thanked Trump for the endorsement in a Tweet posted soon after the president's statement. "I hope that over the course of the campaign I also earn the support and endorsement of the people of Utah," Romney said.

 

Despite Romney's prior criticism, after Trump won the presidency in November 2016, he briefly considered picking Romney as secretary of state.

 

Republicans hold 51 of the Senate’s 100 seats but many legislative issues require getting the support of 60 senators.

 

Trump has repeatedly said that he needs more Republicans elected during the 2018 congressional elections to win approval of more of his agenda.

 

Romney said last week he generally approved of Trump’s agenda, but would not hesitate to call out the president if needed.

 

"I‘m with the president’s domestic policy agenda of low taxes, low regulation, smaller government, pushing back against the bureaucrats," Romney said. "I‘m not always with the president on what he might say or do, and if that happens I’ll call‘em like I see‘em, the way I have in the past."

 

Trump had lobbied Hatch to run for re-election in 2018, in what was viewed as an effort to prevent Romney from getting into the Senate. Trump and Romney spoke in January after Hatch announced his retirement, a White House official said.

 

Romney, the son of former Michigan Governor George Romney, helped found the buyout firm Bain Capital and gained prominence after stepping in to lead the organising committee for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics after a bribery scandal. He served as governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007.

 

Romney first sought the presidency in 2008 but lost the Republican nomination to Arizona Senator John McCain. Four years later, Romney won the party’s nomination but was defeated by incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama.

 

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Grant McCool and Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-20

[TVGerry]

Trump is the ultimate troll and I’m pretty sure this endorsement is his way of trolling Romney.

[Silurian]

The spineless Mitt Romney showing his true wishy-washy behavior in accepting the endorsement. It is hard to count how many times Romney praised and then condemned Donald. I am so glad that he lost his presidential bid. We currently have a POTUS with no backbone and didn't need another one. Romney backtracks so many times that he loses track of his original stand (if he even had one). He doesn't deserve the Senate seat but will most likely win it. Just another weak, inept politician in the mix, heck why not.

 

[Boon Mee]

Smart politics. 

Actually, 'Realpolitk'  involved here 

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

Who cares what Trump thinks, does Putin back Romney? That's the one you want backing you if you want to win.

[bendejo]

Trump Endorses Choke-Artist Mitt Romney

would be the appropriate headline.

DT likes Mitt because he knows how to pull his chain and manipulate him.   But now it's time for Mitt to keep his end of the bargain and pucker up to the orange backside.  Will Mitt make a disgusting sycophant of himself?  Tune in next time for "President Trump: The Age of Lucre."

 

Another similarity between DT and our old friend Thaksin: they don't hire anyone who is smarter than themselves.  Thaksin has proven this time and again.  DT, on the other hand, isn't smart enough to know that he isn't as smart as he imagines himself to be, so his choices are less predictable.  Hell, even Sarah Palin wasn't as dumb as that, in the beginning at least.

 

 

[kamahele]

They hate each other but need each other at least a bit. In the president's case, he needs Romney more than Romney needs him at least until after the election.

[Jingthing]

Romney is a shoe in in Utah whether the clown potus endorses him or not. In this case, a totally irrelevant endorsement. When Romney wins, it will be interesting if Romney shows some backbone against "trump." I wouldn't bet the house on that. 

[tonray]

2 hours ago, ALLSEEINGEYE said:

Who cares what Trump thinks, does Putin back Romney? That's the one you want backing you if you want to win.

In Utah the only backer you need is Joseph Smith 

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, tonray said:

In Utah the only backer you need is Joseph Smith 

The support of voters from Planet Kolob always does the trick. 

[attrayant]

3 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Smart politics. 

 

Or as normal people call it, lying.