Trump Feud with Romney Heats Up: 'Jeff Flake Is Better'
President Donald Trump on Saturday stoked his feud with former arch never-Trumper Mitt Romney on Twitter, calling for the Utah Republican to be impeached.
During the tweet-storm, Trump weighed in on a tweet from Fox News White House correspondent Kevin Corke, who asked whether Romney was the new Jeff Flake, referring to the former anti-Trump GOP senator from Arizona who continues to rage against Trump.
“No Kevin, Jeff Flake is better!” Trump wrote.
No Kevin, Jeff Flake is better! https://t.co/IyENBffEjp
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2019
Earlier, Trump capped a series of tweets aimed at Romney by saying Romney should be removed from office.
“I’m hearing that the Great People of Utah are considering their vote for their Pompous Senator, Mitt Romney, to be a big mistake. I agree! He is a fool who is playing right into the hands of the Do Nothing Democrats! #IMPEACHMITTROMNEY” Trump tweeted.
I’m hearing that the Great People of Utah are considering their vote for their Pompous Senator, Mitt Romney, to be a big mistake. I agree! He is a fool who is playing right into the hands of the Do Nothing Democrats! #IMPEACHMITTROMNEY
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2019
That tweet followed others earlier in the day that called Romney a “pompous ‘a–‘” and said Romney “choked” during his unsuccessful 2012 campaign against then-President Barack Obama.
Late Saturday, Trump added one more jab at Romney.
“Mitt, get off the stage, you’ve had your turn (twice)!” Trump wrote, retweeting a video from White House social media director Dan Scavino that included a montage of images from Trump’s successful 2016 campaign and Romney’s unsuccessful effort in 2012.
Mitt, get off the stage, you’ve had your turn (twice)! https://t.co/zz6TA6XoGe
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2019
Romney launched the latest public display of antipathy between the two men Friday by tweeting his criticism of Trump’s call for China and Ukraine to look at possible illegal activities regarding Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and Biden’s son Hunter from the days when Joe Biden was vice president.
“When the only American citizen President Trump singles out for China’s investigation is his political opponent in the midst of the Democratic nomination process, it strains credulity to suggest that it is anything other than politically motivated,” Romney tweeted.
“By all appearances, the President’s brazen and unprecedented appeal to China and to Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden is wrong and appalling.”
By all appearances, the President’s brazen and unprecedented appeal to China and to Ukraine to investigate Joe Biden is wrong and appalling.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) October 4, 2019
Trump’s wish for Romney’s removal is not likely to have practical implications. According to The Hill, senators cannot be impeached, though they can face recalls in some states; Utah law has no provisions for removing a sitting senator.
The latest flareup of the Romney-Trump feud, which began in the 2016 Republican presidential campaign when Romney strongly opposed Trump’s candidacy, drew discussion on Twitter.
He’ll also never have Romney’s historical loss https://t.co/gWep2FkIDa
— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) October 6, 2019
I wonder what sad state of despair Sir Mittoris Romney has woken up in this morning after being shamed by the most powerful man alive, while derelicting his duties as a Senator to run around a pumpkin patch with his wife and kids, and while just being a sad lump of failure!
— Joey ???? (@JoeyINTL) October 6, 2019
For his part, on Sept. 30, Flake published a commentary in The Washington Post in which he urged the Republican senators who are his former colleagues to oppose Trump.
“With what we now know, the president’s actions warrant impeachment,” Flake wrote in the piece headlined “Fellow Republicans, there’s still time to save your souls.”
In the piece, Flake wrote that if Republicans do not impeach the president, they should at the very least oppose his re-election.
This is not the first time Trump has compared Romney and Flake.
On Jan. 2, after Romney lashed out at Trump in a Washington Post commentary published before he was even sworn in to his Senate seat, Trump counterpunched on Twitter.
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
“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!” Trump wrote.
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