Romney threads the needle on Trump in Utah Senate debate
By James Hohmann
May 30 at 9:29 AM
THE BIG IDEA: Mitt Romney let it slide when his Republican primary opponent ripped him as a flip-flopping “Boston businessman” who “has seen fit to relocate here” during a Utah Senate debate on Tuesday night. He didn’t get worked up as the young state representative, Mike Kennedy, attacked him for signing an assault weapons ban as governor of Massachusetts and imposing an individual mandate that forced people to buy health insurance, a.k.a. Romneycare.
But the onetime standard-bearer of the GOP would not let it go when his opponent mentioned that Romney called Donald Trump a “phony” and a “fraud” in 2016 and recently attacked Robert Jeffress, an ally of the president, as a “religious bigot.” It came toward the end of an hour-long debate at Brigham Young University in Provo. Moderator David Magleby said there wasn’t enough time for the front-runner to respond. Romney protested. So Magleby, a professor at the school, said he could take 20 seconds.
“No, no, no, no,” Romney complained. “I get longer!”
The 71-year-old touted “relationships” he has with the Trump White House that he says will help him offset the clout being lost by the Beehive State with the retirement of Orrin Hatch, who has served in the Senate for 41 years.
“First of all, I've known the president for a long, long time and the president has endorsed me in this campaign — which shows he respects people who call ‘em like they see ‘em,” Romney said in a 55-second answer.
“I'm not sure with President Trump, you see things the right way,” said Kennedy, a practicing physician. “I do know some good doctors if you’d like a referral to get your vision checked because I think President Trump has been outstanding. He is one of the presidents that we have that actually keeps his promises … and I'm proud to stand with the president and not deride him publicly.”
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