Sen. Mitt Romney broke with most Republican lawmakers and praised former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis after he issued a rebuke of President Trump’s response to the protests over the death of George Floyd.
The Utah Republican and frequent Trump critic called Mattis, who served under Trump for two years before his resignation, a “wonderful man.”
“Gen. Mattis’s letter was stunning and powerful. Gen. Mattis is a man of extraordinary sacrifice. He’s an American patriot. He’s an individual whose judgment I respect, and I think the world of him,” Romney said Thursday outside the Republican luncheon.
“If I ever had to choose somebody to be in a foxhole with, it would be with Gen. Mattis. What a wonderful, wonderful man,” he added.
Mattis said in a Wednesday statement reported by the Atlantic that he was “angry and appalled” about the president’s handling of the protests that were sparked following the death of Floyd, an unarmed, 46-year-old black man, while in police custody. Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin is accused of killing Floyd after videos surfaced showing him pinning Floyd to the ground with his knee for nearly nine minutes.
Mattis said Trump has actively worked not to unite but rather to divide the country during his time as president.
“We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort,” Mattis said. “We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens, to past generations that bled to defend our promise, and to our children.”
Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who has broken with her party at times, including a vote against Brett Kavanaugh’s nomination to the Supreme Court, also praised Mattis’s letter on Thursday.
“When I saw Gen. Mattis’s comments yesterday, I felt like perhaps we are getting to a point where we can be more honest with the concerns that we might hold internally and have the courage of our own convictions to speak up,” Murkowski said on Thursday, according to CNN.
“I was really thankful. I thought Gen. Mattis’s words were true and honest and necessary and overdue.”
The Alaska Republican said she was “really thankful” for Mattis’s statement and said his words were “overdue.”
“I have been struggling for the right words, and I was encouraged a couple of nights ago when I was able to read what President Bush had written. And I found that to be empowering for me as one leader,” she said in reference to former President George W. Bush, who issued a statement about Floyd’s death this week that said those silencing protesters “do not understand the meaning of America.”
Murkowski said she is “struggling” with whether she will support Trump’s reelection this year. She also said questions about who she is going to vote for this year are a distraction.
“I am struggling with it. I have struggled with it for a long time. I think you know that. I didn’t support the president in the initial election, and I work hard to try to make sure that I’m able to represent my state well, that I’m able to work with any administration and any president,” she said.
The GOP remains divided on Trump’s efforts to crack down on protests and unrest. Trump has faced blowback for his walk from the White House to St. John’s Episcopal Church on Monday. While there, Trump was photographed holding up a Bible, a move that was criticized by the bishop and by lawmakers. Protesters were dispersed prior to the walk, reportedly on the orders of Attorney General William Barr, ahead of a curfew in Washington.
