Mitt Romney Side-Eyes Republicans Sucking Up To Trump By Attending Trial
Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) is shaking his head at Republicans who have been pandering to Donald Trump by attending his New York trial.
“I think it’s a little demeaning to show up in front of a courthouse, particularly one where we’re talking about an allegation of paying a porn star — it’s difficult to watch,” the retiring senator told reporters before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee meeting Wednesday.
“There’s a level of dignity and decorum that you expect of people who are running for the highest station in the land, and going out and prostrating themselves in front of the public to try and apparently curry favor with the person who’s our nominee is a little embarrassing.”
This week, the trial was attended by Gov. Doug Burgum (R-N.D.) Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), each of whom have been floated as possibilities for Trump’s vice presidential candidate.
Mitt Romney scolded fellow Republicans for traveling to Trump's hush money trial, calling their appearances outside the New York courthouse "a little embarrassing." pic.twitter.com/bJ1TS3xTsv
— POLITICO (@politico) May 15, 2024
Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (La.) and former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy also showed up to court, where they rocked versions of Trump’s signature red tie and called the trial a sham.
Trump, in large part, is using his allies to overpower the gag order he is currently bound by.
“The sooner that this scam trial can be concluded, the sooner that the president can get back to getting out campaigning and talking to the American people about the issues that matter to them,” Burgum told reporters, before attacking the prosecution’s lead witness, former Trump fixer, Michael Cohen.
Romney raised eyebrows earlier this week when he offered President Biden some unsolicited advice about dealing with Trump.
Talking about the former president’s indictment for attempts to overturn the 2020 election, Romney said he “would have immediately pardoned” Trump.
The strategy wasn’t designed to favor the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, however.
As Romney added, “Why? Well, because it makes me, President Biden, the big guy and the person I pardoned a little guy.”