GOP donors are reportedly encouraging Mitt Romney to primary Trump

In recent days, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has been fielding calls from GOP donors itching for him to primary President Trump in 2020, a person close to Romney told Vanity Fair.

"There is a half-billion dollars on the sidelines from guys who are fed up with Trump," one donor told Vanity Fair's Gabriel Sherman. Romney has been one of the few Republican voices to speak out against Trump's attempts to get foreign leaders to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, tweeting on Friday that his "brazen and unprecedented appeal to China and to Ukraine ... is wrong and appalling." This earned Romney a rebuke from Trump, who tweeted the next day that he is "a pompous 'ass'" who "never knew how to win."

Despite the encouragement from donors, Romney has decided it's foolish to try to primary Trump, since he wasn't able to win the 2012 presidential race and Republicans are still by and large supporting Trump. An adviser to Romney told Sherman that Romney thinks his best bet is to stay in the Senate, where he would be able to participate in an impeachment trial. Romney could have "tremendous influence" the adviser said, as he's "the one guy who could bring along [GOP Sens.] Susan Collins, Cory Gardner, Ben Sasse. Romney is the pressure point in the impeachment process. That's why the things he's saying are freaking Republicans out." Read more at Vanity Fair.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

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.

Sign up