Romney says he will vote to convict Trump

[George II]

Source: CNN

Sen. Mitt Romney, a Republican from Utah, said he will vote to convict in the impeachment of President Trump.

Romney said Trump is "guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust."

He said what Trump did "was a flagrant assault on our electoral rights, our national security, and our fundamental values."

Romney added: "Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office is perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one's oath of office that I can imagine."



Read more: https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-impeachment-trial-02-05-20/

---

There will be updates, I'm sure. Bottom line: ROMNEY IS VOTING TO CONVICT!

Romney's tweet (his speech starts at about 12:30):

Link to tweet

[Mike 03]

1. His speech is hard hitting. Wow, this is a direct smack!

"were I to ignore the evidence that has been presented... it would expose my character to history's rebuke."

He is talking a lot about religious conviction and morality.

Now talking about the necessity of hearing from Bolton, which didn't happen.

"My vote is an act of conviction..."

"I will tell my children that I did my duty to the best of my ability..."

Now CNN's Brooke Baldwin reacting. She is awestruck.

[George II]

6. I never really disliked him. Wouldn't vote for him for President but I don't think he is "bad"...

I think a lot more of him now.

[PatSeg]

15. My main problem with him

was he was so wishy-washy and would say whatever he thought people wanted to hear. This, however, is a wonderful surprise. I'll give him credit where it is due. Good for him.

[DENVERPOPS]

39. He is saying

what the majority of Americans want to hear with his vote........

[PatSeg]

45. I think Romney knows

how to play the long game, though I also think he believed everything he said.

[johnnyfins]

51. Meh. It's easy to do this when you know he will be acquitted.

[PatSeg]

53. Not easy enough for 50 other

republican senators though.

[LanternWaste]

61. No. The probable acquittal simply makes Romney more of a trump target now.

So I don't see where you get this "it's easy to do..." stuff.

[Cha]

80. He lied and gaslighted so much when he was

running against President Obama..
Steve Benen kept volumes and volumes of the Lies. "Please Proceed Senator"..

It's good to see a repub going against trump, tho.

[PatSeg]

83. He wanted to be president so badly

that he came across as desperate, doing and saying anything that he thought might get him there. That said, I believe he was sincere on the floor yesterday and will give him credit for doing the right thing. I still wouldn't want to see him as president though.

[Mike 03]

16. Agree. Man, it's hard not to deeply respect what just happened.

WOW

[Mike 03]

17. BTW. thanks for posting this.

That felt like history happening.

[MFGsunny]

66. + 1000 n/t

[onecent]

70. He isn't bad HE'S AN IDIOT....I heard the phone call, and the way he asked to see Biden's stuff

and that is illegal.....EVERYTHING HE TOUCHES TURNED TO SHIT....And why do we need billions of dollars.
NOBODY ever got near a billion dollars.....IS HE TAKING THE MONEY????

[c_junk]

71. He's a radical Republican, I liked his father a lot more (and I wouldn't have voted for him either)

I think he's fundamentally flawed.

Corporations are people?! I disagree with that most vehemently. IMO they are legal constructs for an economic purpose that need rules (laws) to create societal benefit from the license they've been granted.

His father was a civil rights supporter, Mitt not so much...

His father returned money when he thought he was paid too much, Mitt founded the vulture firm Bain Capital, and gutted multiple firms.

Binders full of women, from a guy whose grandfather was a polygamist?

Someone who's father was born in Mexico is supporting a border wall?

[Nitram]

78. I have disliked Romney ever since he referred to "the 47%."

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Yeah!! Good for you, Mr. Romney!! Scumbag rump deserves to be thrown out of office. NT

[DENVERPOPS]

81. Couldn't agree more SWBT

Romney's comments will go down in history. He knew the trashing he is going to taken by Trump, Trump's minions,
Trump's Republican Senators. He didn't care and I bet he left many Senators behind the scenes saying they wish they had the courage to do the same thing......It took SUPREME strength to do what Romney did and he will be remembered in history for his statement, far more than ANYTHING that Trump spews out of his anus shaped mouth.......

WASF

Just wait for what's coming now that Trump and his crowd feel emboldened. His first tyrannical actions were taken mere hours after his travesty acquittal. Barr's command about any further investigations being personally approved by him, classifying as Secret ALL immigration and naturalization matters, etc etc etc. ANYONE who was not 100% with Trump had better duck and cover, and have eyes in the back of their heads. Trump has been making a black list and he will go to ANY end to screw you to the wall and destroy you. A back handed threat came out of the White house this afternoon directed at Adam Schiff.

WASF

it is gonna get really really really shitty between now and the election, they won't wait or hold back now. They have already started just hours after the vote. In a way, I don't want to witness November 3rd or the next day in our nation. It makes no difference if he Wins or Loses.......There are already Harbingers of the ugliness that quite probably will take place by his voters. Katie Bar the Door.

[SWBTATTReg]

82. Everyone of the senators that allowed this piece of crap to stay in office and do ...

more harm will be forever stained with the stench of corruption and filth.

I'm sick and tired of hearing their lame a&& excuses that republicans keep sprouting to justify ignoring the clear and present evidence in front of everyone's faces, in allowing this presidential piece of filth and garbage with his ignorant attitude, and behavior to continue.

I'm surprised that they continued to let him stay in office, being that they were already threatened once (heads on a pike) remark from rump already, and frankly, why not simply send rump away, and let Pence do their bidding? With only a couple of defect votes, rump would be gone, and Pence would only be in office until early next year.

I suspect strongly that with the elections, rump is going to forget and do something stupid (well, do some more stupid stuff on top of what he has done) that will definitely bounce back on him and these corrupt Senators. In a way, with Barr being a roadblock into any future actions by the DOJ and declaring all immigration and naturalization matters secret, is indeed a harbinger of bad things to come. The SS comes to mind when I hear this. Will normal Americans be thrown into concentration camps or jail because their status is now open to question?

They have gave our democratic candidates hundreds of $millions of dollars in free advertising, for I'm thinking that a lot of people sitting on the sidelines thus, now truly and surely sees how corrupt rump and the House/Senate republicans are, in letting rump off the hook and get by with his crimes (clearly backed up by witnesses and documentation).

With threatening Adam S., I also got a feeling that the House of Representatives will not hesitate to issue another impeachment process, or that they'll be more likely to sit on stuff that the Senate and WH will want, but will no longer get from the House (which the House of Rep should do (sit on). Neither of them have shown any decency in acting along w/ democrats in getting anything done (their way or the highway).

I'm seriously thinking about donating to the ACLU. I will, but how much is still up in the air.

Take care!

[importDavid]

3. I wonder if it will resonate with any other senators?

19 more...

[lagomorph777]

57. 19 or 20 or 21, depending on the strength of some wavering Dems.

This doesn't leave much room for any Dems to bow down to President Turd. They have to stand up.

[yodermon]

4. i can't believe it n/t

[rickyhall]

21. Until we see it.

[cilla4progress]

5. HUGE!

Thanks, Mittens! Sent his website a thank you note.

[lastlib]

65. May his speech be a campaign ad in October.

[Iliyah]

7. He may have to leave the Republican party . . .

[still_one]

22. If he did that he would go independent

[smb]

33. DOOOOOO IIIITTTTTT....! nt

[tinrobot]

59. Caucus with the Dems! Come on, Mitt!

[still_one]

74. Don't think he would do that though

[Cosmocat]

50. He will be OK

He has some flex with Utah - his father, they are a little different brand of republicans. They won't out and out go against the jackass, but I do think they are more put off by how immoral and bold faced jackassish he is.

[Dave Starsky]

55. He will be fine with his Mormon constituency.

I guarantee that they respect Mitt a thousand times more than they care for President Pussygrabber.

[BigmanPigman]

8. I was watching and my mouth dropped open!

His speech was pretty good. I hope it influences others.

[George II]

14. A little melodramatic of me, but my hands were shaking as I typed.

[comradebillyboy]

9. No shit! Mitt has more of a moral compass than I had given him

credit for. More back bone too.

[jmbar2]

10. he earns my HUGE respect.

[bucolic_frolic]

11. Say whatever, Mitt does have moral principles

I never agreed with him on the environment for example. But well played, Mitt, a salute to you!

Perhaps he smells opportunity. This makes him the leader, hands-down, of the post-Trump Republican Party Shambles and Scrum.

But it is also a nod to the Constitution, and the way he phrased it, democracy especially, and it will begin the blunting of partisan rancor and veneration of lawlessness that McConnell's stonewalling has wrought.

I think it can be said also that Mormons are also known for their adherence to rules and law, if mistrust of the federal government. They are great business managers. J. Willard Marriot for example, from whom Willard Mitt Romney got his first name. Fiduciary rules very much followed.

[Bayard]

12. Any more?

Will others follow him, or is he the only rethug?

[smb]

30. Even If It's Just Him...

...let the phrase "BIPARTISAN support for removal" echo through the land and through Napoleon Boneyspurs' empty head.

[George II]

34. That was my first thought - they can't claim it was a "partisan witch hunt" any longer.

[marble falls]

13. Meet who gunning for Pence.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

18. Will @GOPChairwoman disown him? NT

https://twitter.com/GOPChairwoman

[PunkinPi]

25. She kinda already did by removing "Romney" from her name for trump. See also...

Link to tweet

Ronna McDaniel, in statement, says she stands with Trump and disagrees with her uncle. "The Republican Party is more united than ever behind him. I, along with the GOP, stand with President Trump."

[Jirel]

19. Nice, Mitt.

Too little too late, but thanks.

[still_one]

20. I applaud him for this. It will be interesting to see what this does to his political carreer as a

republican

[PatSeg]

27. Evidently he is a rare republican

who thinks there are things more important than one's political career.

[AlexSFCA]

58. he is doing it for his political career

kudos to him but make no mistake. He is not up for reelection for a few years. He made a calculated move that this will eventually pay off. And he is 100% right.

[PatSeg]

60. If so

he knows how to play the long game better than his republican colleagues.

[radical noodle]

23. My opinion of him went up while I watched

His vote will go down in history and he knows that. It will be his only reward because they will crucify him if they can.

[Traildogbob]

24. Brave, I must take my hat off

Never a fan but right now he gets my respect. His biggest issue, was allowing GOP to assign Paul Ryan to his ticket. Equally as dumb as Sarah Palin choice for VP. Maybe he is saddling up the Morman White Horse. Could not be worse.

[duforsure]

26. To have a political career

In the future he has to convict . No one will vote for someone refusing to convict a criminal, and they are soft on crime, when they do it. Rubio will be held accountable, and all others, and will look badly as trump and others are exposed for crimes. They refuse they become co-conspirators and in legal jeopardy then, also for obstructing , and aiding and abetting (Putin), working for a foreign government without registering, and I'm sure many more.

[Mike Nelson]

28. The speech was great...

... he didn't just vote... he explained the vote quite starkly. I don't agree with Mitt on much, but I was impressed with his honest appraisal of the disgraceful President.

[Firestorm49]

29. So when he runs for president again he can say he's every man's friend.

I don’t trust him any more then Moscow Mitch.

[in2herbs]

31. His vote won't change the outcome of the impeachment proceedings but bc of his vote

he can now educate (lecture) any Rs in Utah who expect to shame him for his vote. Only good can come of this.

[ZenDem]

32. Holy Shit.

I'm guessing this might be part 'patriotism' and a bigger part of 'maybe I can still run for President'.

Either way...holy shit. This is freaking awesome!!!

[Javaman]

35. he's trying to buy back his soul...

[Uncle Joe]

49. That is one heck uva pic Javaman,

the differences in their facial expressions are as night and day.

[denem]

69. Trump looks like a wolf, Romney a sheep.

[happybird]

52. omg

Whatta pic!

The lighting, the expressions ... it looks like a deal with a crossroads demon.

[Mersky]

36. Here's the VIDEO

https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4852630/senator-romney-vote-convict-president-trump-abuse-power

[SunSeeker]

62. Thank you! Wow, what a great speech. Well worth my 20 minutes to view!

[jb5150]

37. I'm glad he did the right thing, but I have to wonder

if he's about to switch parties, or possible retire.

[BluNoMatterHu]

38. Precisely why

Senator Romney will still be a senator after November and many of them won’t.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

40. Mitt Romney is the first Senator in American history to vote to impeach a president of his own party

This is a thing the likes of which have never been seen before.

ShockinglyIndecorousHat Retweeted

Mitt Romney is the first Senator in American history to vote to impeach a president of his own party.

Link to tweet

[Ponietz]

41. Probably why McConnell said "I'm sorry" last night.

[awesomerwb1]

42. You did the right thing mittens

Good for you.

[hibbing]

43. Faux....he's a RINO

The great brain trust that is Hannity was already calling him a RINO even before this vote.


Peace

[Marcuse]

44. "This has been the most difficult decision I have ever had to make in my life,"

[Laura PourMeADrink]

48. What? The schmuck takes our money and holds it ransom

not to dig up dirt even. But to get an enemy of our enemy to manufacture dirt for you personally ???

Wow bad or not bad? If it takes more than a nanosecond you're a schmuck.

[George II]

46. He's getting even, in part, for this:

[Laura PourMeADrink]

47. Hate you! But love you today, even though it's probably

A political ploy. Don't care today. Bravo Romney. Now if any Dem votes to acquit, may the rules be waived.

[Vinnie From Indy]

54. In addition to being the right thing to do, it is the smart play.

Trump is an aberration and his madness is unsustainable for The Republican Party.

[BlueIdaho]

56. A Profile in Courage.

Mittens got class - my hats off to him.

[kydemo]

63. Emotional

I must admit that I teared up while he was speaking. I am by nature a person who thinks there is decency in others. The Trump presidency and the modern Republican party have shaken that belief. I have been despondent especially during the impeachment hearings to see that there had been no decent, honorable and truthful Republicans. It began to make me even more cynical. I am happy to know that at least one Republican is saying out loud the truth. One. Opens the door to others, maybe not Senators. Thank you, Sen. Romney.

[SpankMe]

64. A. I'll believe it when I see it

And, B. He could do anything and get re-elected in Utah. So, he'd be safe if he did vote to convict.

[PSPS]

67. Only because he knows it won't matter and he's angling for another presidential run.

[snort]

68. They could use a new majority leader.

[90-percent]

72. Channeling a portion of his dad's political courage.

In 1968 Mitt's dad George, the Governor of michigan at the time, visited Viet Nam and declared the war an unwinnable waste. Even though it really hurt his chances for the Presidential nom, he did the right thing and deserves credit. Same with mitt here, because, as Biil Murray said about Trump in Caddyshack; "He's vengeful".* (start the vid at 1:20)

-90% jimmy


*

[Wabbajack_]

73. At the end of the day it means little

Symbolic.

But we still need to win in November. This orange fuck is not leaving office today.

[90-percent]

75. I'm wonderng what sort of

Dr. Evil vengance Trump is free to apply to Mitt. Maybe solitary in Guantanemo? There is nobody in our gov't left with the power to stop such things any more, now that the U.S.A. is a fascist dictatorship.

-90% Jimmy

[SunSeeker]

76. Romney just voted NOT GUILTY on obstructiion of congess!

[George II]

77. I just saw that. WTF?

[denbot]

79. Credit, where credit is due.

I still dont like him, or his politics, but Bravo Zulu Senator Romney.