On Wednesday — the inauguration day of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris — Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) offered a message in support of the incoming presidential administration. Romney, of course, was frequently at odds with the outgoing Trump administration, and he was even the only Republican Senator who voted to convict Trump and remove him from office at the conclusion of his first impeachment trial in the Senate. More recently, Romney publicly criticized the fight against the election outcome that Trump waged in the wake of his defeat. On Wednesday, Romney shared that he hoped that the Biden administration would be able to bring unity to the country.
Romney poignantly shared as follows:
‘Today’s #InaugurationDay occurs at a difficult time for our nation. I pray that President Biden will call upon our better angels, uniting the nation at a time of division. Despite the differences Americans may have on matters of policy, we share the common goal of ensuring that America continues to be a beacon of hope and freedom for all.’
Despite the differences Americans may have on matters of policy, we share the common goal of ensuring that America continues to be a beacon of hope and freedom for all.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) January 20, 2021
Going forward, the Senate is slated to soon hold a second impeachment trial for Trump after the House’s recent second impeachment proceedings against him over the rioting at the Capitol that he helped incite. It’s unclear what the final outcome might be in that impending second Senate trial for Trump — the agreement of two-thirds of the chamber is required for a conviction. With this week’s scheduled swearing in of two new Democratic Senators from Georgia, the chamber will be 50-50, requiring Republican support for any conviction.
Days before the rioting at the Capitol, which unfolded as members of Congress were gathered inside and working through the process of formally certifying the electoral college outcome (meaning Biden’s victory), Romney spoke out against the plan among certain Republicans to object to some of Biden’s electoral votes. Romney commented, in part, as follows:
‘The egregious ploy to reject electors may enhance the political ambition of some, but dangerously threatens our Democratic Republic. The congressional power to reject electors is reserved for the most extreme and unusual circumstances. These are far from it… Members of Congress who would substitute their own partisan judgement for that of the courts do not enhance public trust, they imperil it.’
There was never any meaningfully conclusive legitimacy whatsoever to the claims of systematic election fraud.
Check out Twitter’s response to Romney below:
Featured Image via Gage Skidmore on Wikimedia Commons, available under a Creative Commons License
