Sen. Mitt Romney says he is ready to stand up for Republican priorities when working with presumptive President-elect Joe Biden.
“I know he’s on the other side the aisle, but I want to make sure we conservatives keep on fighting to make sure we don’t have a Green New Deal, we don’t get rid of gas and coal and oil, that we don’t have a Medicare-for-all plan put in place, that we don’t raise taxes on American enterprise that would kill the economy,” Romney told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday. “So look, I congratulate him, but I’m not going to put aside conservative principles. We’re going to fight for the things we believe in.”
The Utah Republican is among a handful of GOP lawmakers who have often distanced themselves from President Trump. He was also one of the first to congratulate Biden and his running mate California Sen. Kamala Harris, following a declared presidential victory for Biden on Saturday.
Ann and I extend our congratulations to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. We know both of them as people of good will and admirable character. We pray that God may bless them in the days and years ahead.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) November 7, 2020
During Trump’s Ukraine-related impeachment trial, Romney broke ranks with fellow Republicans, becoming the only GOP member of the Senate to convict Trump on one of the two charges the president faced.
The failed 2012 Republican presidential nominee confirmed to reporters that he did not vote for Trump this year but did not disclose who he supported on his ticket. Trump has often dubbed Romney as being a RINO, or a Republican in name only.
Trump, who has not conceded in the election, is alleging Biden’s presumptive victory is a result of voter fraud and Democratic rigging of the election. The president has begun embarking on several legal battles in a handful of states.
Romney criticized Trump’s rhetoric on Sunday, telling NBC’s Meet the Press host Chuck Todd that his language could have global consequences.
“I think it’s fine to pursue every legal avenue that one has. But I think one has to be careful in the choice of words,” Romney said. “I think when you say that the election was corrupt or stolen or rigged, that’s, unfortunately, rhetoric that gets picked up by authoritarians around the world.”
