Senator Mitt Romney, known for his candid opinions, recently shared his views on the upcoming presidential race and the potential candidates. In an NBC’s Meet the Press interview, he expressed apprehension about a possible face-off between Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the next election. Romney, a vocal critic of Trump, indicated a preference for Biden over the Republican front-runner.
Discussing Trump’s recent comments on authoritarianism during a conversation with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Romney highlighted Trump’s off-the-cuff speaking style. He described Trump as a “human gumball machine,” where thoughts enter and exit without much filtration as per HuffPost.
Romney expressed particular concern over Trump’s conduct during the final months of his presidency, viewing it as indicative of a vengeful and authoritarian mindset.
While Romney acknowledged that he doesn’t give much weight to Trump’s every word, he admitted that a second Trump presidency might be driven more by revenge than rationality. Regarding his support for other Republican candidates, Romney joked that his endorsement might be the “kiss of death” and thus refrained from backing anyone explicitly. However, he didn’t rule out the possibility of voting for Biden over Trump, as per The Hill.
Romney also mentioned former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as a notable Republican contender for 2024. He believes Haley has a potential, albeit long-shot, chance against Trump.
Despite this, Romney stopped short of endorsing Haley or any other Republican candidates, including Chris Christie, whom he praised for his efforts so far. His focus remains on character over policy, arguing that while bad policies can be addressed, overcoming poor character is much more challenging.