Trump demands Mitt Romney be a 'team player' after critical op-ed
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."
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."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
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."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
What is the global intifada?The Explainer Police have arrested two people over controversial ‘globalise the intifada’ chants
-
The Week Unwrapped: What’s the cost of PFAs?Podcast Plus why is George Osborne joining OpenAI? And has universal basic income finally come of age?
-
The week’s best photosIn Pictures A dervish dance off, a frosty forest, and more
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
-
Hegseth rejects release of full boat strike footageSpeed Read There are calls to release video of the military killing two survivors of a Sept. 2 missile strike on an alleged drug trafficking boat
-
Trump vows naval blockade of most Venezuelan oilSpeed Read The announcement further escalates pressure on President Nicolás Maduro
-
Kushner drops Trump hotel project in SerbiaSpeed Read Affinity Partners pulled out of a deal to finance a Trump-branded development in Belgrade
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
-
Abrego García freed from jail on judge’s orderSpeed Read The wrongfully deported man has been released from an ICE detention center
-
Indiana Senate rejects Trump’s gerrymander pushSpeed Read The proposed gerrymander would have likely flipped the state’s two Democratic-held US House seats
