Mitt Romney directly calls out Trump for fueling 'hate-filled morass' in U.S. politics

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) has apparently had enough.

In a statement released Tuesday, Romney said that, as the November election nears, he is "troubled" by the American political landscape, which he argues has transformed from a place of "spirited debate" into a "vile, vituperative, hate-filled morass that is unbecoming of any free nation."

Romney directly called out President Trump for insulting his political opponents — even after the discovery of a plot to kidnap one of them — and calling for former President Barack Obama's imprisonment. He also said Democrats "launch blistering attacks of their own," though he clarified he believes former Vice President Joe Biden, the party's presidential nominee, "refuses to stoop as low as others."

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All of this, he said, has been amplified by the media on the left and right, and he suggested the "rabid attacks" could have severe consequences if people "take the small and predictable step from intemperate word to dangerous action." With that in mind, Romney urged all leaders in the country, political or otherwise, to "lower the heat" and "tone it down." Tim O'Donnell