Mitt Romney is not ‘principled’ — and he never has been

On Wednesday, Sen. Mitt Romney gave an impassioned speech on the Senate floor while announcing his intention to vote to convict and remove President Trump from office. The speech was lauded by Democrats, liberal journalists, and Never Trump pundits alike as “principled” and “brave.” Romney’s remarks included moving and emotional language, and the Utah Republican attempted to portray his decision as one guided solely by conviction and principle. He said:

Were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history’s rebuke and the censure of my own conscience.

This might sound nice and noble, but there’s one problem: Throughout Romney’s entire political career, he has been willing to put political ambition over principle and conviction.