The enemies have Trump have been dealt a serious blow. They are all reeling.
That’s why a top Trump enemy just went on CNN to make this stunning confession.
Former failed U.S. Presidential candidate and current U.S. Senator from Utah, Mitt Romney, has for years now been one of the fiercest enemies of Donald Trump and his agenda. What makes Romney such a difficult enemy for Trump and his allies to deal with is that he will say one thing and do another. That’s what he’s been doing in office since well before Donald Trump ever came on the scene. Many call him one of the classic examples of a Republican In Name Only (RINO).
These RINOs have been waging a war to keep Donald Trump away from any real power and using it to reshape Washington, D.C. politics in any permanent way. The status quo and what many pundits call the D.C. “uniparty” is most important to those of Romney’s ilk. All they care about is being elected over and over again, holding onto power and never giving it up.
Which is what makes Romney’s most recent comments so interesting. At one point, Romney would not have conceded the control of the Republican Party to Donald Trump. In 2016, he was one of the individuals saying Trump would never be elected and that he was just a blip on the radar. Well, now he’s singing a different tune, saying that Donald Trump has officially reshaped the Republican Party in his vision.
Mitt Romney’s Changes His Tune on Donald Trump and the Republican Party
Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, once one of the Republican Party’s most vocal critics of Donald Trump, has begun to shift his tone in recent years, offering unexpected praise for the former president’s influence on the party. As Trump secures a second term in office, Romney’s recognition of the enduring power of the MAGA movement marks a significant change in his political outlook. Once a staunch adversary, Romney now gives Trump credit for fundamentally transforming the Republican Party.
For years, Romney has been candid in his criticism of Trump. In a 2019 op-ed for The Washington Post, Romney called into question Trump’s “character” and condemned the then-president for what he perceived as dangerous behavior. However, Romney’s latest comments on CNN’s State of the Union offer a surprising departure from his previous stance.
When asked by host Jake Tapper whether MAGA is now the defining identity of the Republican Party or if the GOP could evolve into something different after Trump, Romney was clear in his response. “Oh, MAGA is the Republican Party and Donald Trump is the Republican Party today,” Romney asserted. Reflecting on the future, he even speculated about the 2028 Republican presidential race, naming Vice President-elect JD Vance as a likely contender. “He’s smart. Well spoken. Part of the MAGA movement,” Romney said of Vance, signaling his growing acceptance of the direction in which Trump has steered the GOP.
Tapper, however, was quick to remind Romney of his previous remarks about Vance, noting that Romney had once said he could “not have less respect for someone” than for the rising political star. Romney, though, was not inclined to revisit past conflicts. “I’m not going to rehash history,” he replied. Instead, Romney pivoted to discuss the broader political landscape and the evolving dynamics within the parties.
Romney acknowledged that the Republican Party, under Trump’s leadership, has transformed into a party of the working and middle class. “You’ve got to give Donald Trump credit for having done that, taken that away from the Democrats,” he said. Romney placed blame on the Democrats, particularly pointing to the influence of figures like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, whose progressive stances, including support for movements like “defund the police” and controversial positions on transgender athletes in women’s sports, he believes alienated the party’s traditional working-class base. “These things had a lot of people in the middle class just flee the Democratic Party,” Romney said, adding that these voters had found a new home in the Republican Party.
Yet Romney also expressed concern about his own party’s direction. He acknowledged a disconnect between the GOP’s policies and the interests of its voters. “Our policies do not necessarily line up with the interests of our voters,” he admitted. This, he believes, could necessitate a reevaluation of the party’s platform in the coming years. While he suggested that the Republican Party may need some “reorientation,” he was unambiguous about the Democratic Party’s struggles. “The Democrat Party is the one in trouble,” Romney stated, offering little advice to the opposition. He pointed to the loss of union workers to the Republican fold, as well as the party’s growing association with “college professors and woke scolds,” a description Romney argued does little to appeal to the working class.
Romney’s evolving stance is part of a broader trend among Republican critics of Trump who, despite their past opposition, have softened their rhetoric in the face of Trump’s enduring political dominance. Romney’s shift mirrors the experiences of other prominent figures, such as MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who, after years of vocal criticism, recently visited Trump at Mar-a-Lago following his election victory. Despite once comparing Trump to Adolf Hitler and accusing him of fascism, the couple expressed a willingness to “restart communications” with the former president.
Mitt Romney’s comments are a microcosm of a larger reality within the Republican Party: Donald Trump’s influence has reshaped the party in ways that are hard to ignore. What was once seen as a fringe movement is now, according to Romney, the GOP’s core. And as Trump looks poised to continue his hold on the party for the foreseeable future, even his harshest critics seem to be reassessing their positions, acknowledging the immense impact he has had on the Republican landscape.
While Romney remains critical of certain aspects of Trump’s legacy, his recent remarks suggest that he recognizes the central role Trump has played in redefining the Republican Party. Whether this shift represents a tactical adjustment or a deeper ideological reconciliation remains to be seen, but it is clear that Romney, like many of his peers, is coming to terms with a new political reality where Trump is firmly in control of the GOP’s future.
Even if Romney wants to make some tactical or ideological reconciliation with Donald Trump and his allies, they won’t be quick to accept him as one of their own. Donald Trump’s nominated Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, was accused of treason by Mitt Romney for baseless reasons. That just happened last year in 2023.
Tulsi Gabbard calls out Mitt Romney for accusing her of treason. pic.twitter.com/IKHelwm0ki
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) February 9, 2023
Mitt Romney is extremely good at playing the Washington, D.C. ball game. That’s likely what he’s doing here. He’s looking at the scoreboard and trying to figure out how he can stay on the winning team no matter what.
Stay tuned to the DC Daily Journal.
