Sen. Mitt Romney.Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Getty
Cellphonevideoof the incidents, shared on social media, showed the Trump supporters calling Romney a “traitor” and asking why he doesn’t support the president’s baseless claims that the 2020 election was “rigged” and “stolen."
Romney, a senator from Utah and former 2012 Republican presidential nominee, has long been at odds with Trump and has said he will vote to ratify the electoral vote certifying Biden, 78, as the next president.
Donald Trump and Sen. Mitt Romney in November 2016.Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney (left) and President Donald Trump in 2012.Ethan Miller/Getty Images
“Why aren’t you supporting President Trump?” asks a person filming Romney as he waits to board the flight, in a video shared across social media.
Romney, 73, remains calm during the tense interaction before walking away. In the clip, the senator asks the heckler to put on a mask out of precaution for COVID-19 and says, “I do support President Trump,” before further explaining, “I will follow the Constitution and I will explain all that when we meet in Congress this week.”
As the lawmaker walks away from the verbal altercation, hecklers tell him “your legacy is nothing” and “you’re a joke.” In anothervideoshared across social media, a group of Trump supporters on the flight chant “Traitor! Traitor! Traitor!” and call on him to resign. TheWashington Postreportedthat the chant lasted 20 seconds.
A small group of Trump loyalists in Congress are expected to object to the electoral vote on Wednesday, though many GOP senators and the Democratic-led House of Representatives say they’ll ratify the results and further cement Biden’s election.
Romney, a moderate Republican, is the only GOP senator who voted to impeach Trump last year and has often been on the receiving end of the president’s public outbursts. Theirfraught public rivalrybegan in early 2016 when Romney called on Republican voters to back other candidates instead of Trump in that year’s election.
Last month, Romney said Trump’s push to overturn the 2020 election was “embarrassing” and also called his leadership amid thenovel coronavirus pandemic(COVID-19) “a great human tragedy.”
“The egregious ploy to reject electors may enhance the political ambition of some, but dangerously threatens our Democratic Republic,” Romney said in astatementSunday. “The congressional power to reject electors is reserved for the most extreme and unusual circumstances. These are far from it.”
Romney added: “More Americans participated in this election than ever before, and they made their choice.”
source: people.com
