Mitt Romney sounds the alarm

How many times have we heard prominent Republicans appear to denounce Donald Trump only to say they would of course still vote for him? Sen. Mitt Romney has consistently broken that mold. Although he has declined to reveal what he did at the ballot box, Romney insisted that he did not vote for Trump in 2016 or 2020. A new statement from Romney about Trump in 2024 now offers an off-ramp to Republican voters who may feel conflicted about what to do this November.

Romney is not going so far as to tell people to reelect President Joe Biden, and he is not revealing exactly what his own plans are. However, Romney is emphatically ruling out voting for or supporting Trump. With a sense of urgency, Romney is articulating a compelling case for why a second Trump term would be disastrous for the entire nation, an act that should encourage others to follow suit while feeling validated.

Speaking with Kaitlan Collins on CNN Wednesday evening, Romney didn’t just shake his head when asked if he might vote for Trump over Biden in the 2024 presidential election. “No, no, no, absolutely not!” was Romney’s reaction to the question, revealing both conviction and disgust. His country-over-party stance is remarkable, considering Romney was the last GOP presidential nominee before Trump.

Romney, who is retiring from the Senate after this year, told Collins that he disagrees with Biden on much of his policy, and that while he agrees with Trump on much of his domestic policy, Trump’s foreign policy is highly problematic. However, Romney pointed out that “there’s another dimension besides policy, and that’s character,” implying that Trump is not “the person who is the example of the president for my kids and my grandkids.”

Romney argued that, more than just having importance as a role model, the character of our leaders is at the core of who we are as a nation, enabling us “to be the most powerful nation on Earth and the leader of the Earth.” He labeled Trump as someone who is “so defaulted of character” such that his impact on America’s character would be “enormous.”

Romney’s warning to Republican voters is clear and reflects a consistent theme. If you want future generations of your family to enjoy the same democracy that you did and continue to live in an America that, as former President Ronald Reagan liked to say, is a “city on a hill,” then you don’t have to vote for the Democrat, Romney advises—but, whatever you do, don’t vote for Trump.