Trump demands Mitt Romney be a 'team player' after critical op-ed

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Here we go again

Trump demands Mitt Romney be a 'team player' after critical op-ed

January 2, 2019

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President Trump's feud with Senator-elect Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has been fully reignited.

"Here we go with Mitt Romney," Trump tweeted Wednesday after the former Massachusetts governor and 2012 presidential candidate published an op-ed criticizing his character. Trump demanded Romney "be helpful" and a "TEAM player" while a member of the U.S. Senate, also taking a swipe at his 2012 election loss, writing, "I won big, and he didn't."

Here we go with Mitt Romney, but so fast! Question will be, is he a Flake? I hope not. Would much prefer that Mitt focus on Border Security and so many other things where he can be helpful. I won big, and he didn’t. He should be happy for all Republicans. Be a TEAM player & WIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2019

Romney in his op-ed said that Trump has "not risen to the mantle of the office." Any president, he wrote, should demonstrate "honesty and integrity" and "elevate the national discourse with comity and mutual respect," but in that department, Trump has fallen short. He also promised to "speak out against significant statements or actions" from Trump that are "divisive, racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, dishonest, or destructive to democratic institutions."

This wasn't too surprising considering Romney criticized Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, calling him a "phony" and a "fraud" and ultimately refusing to vote for him in the general election. Trump, in turn, went after Romney, calling him a "mixed up man who doesn't have a clue." Despite this, Trump ultimately endorsed Romney's 2018 campaign, saying he would "make a great Senator."