Republican Senator Mitt Romney criticized President Joe Biden for not pardoning former President Donald Trump after the Justice Department brought election-interference charges and pressured New York prosecutors to drop the case over alleged hush-money payments. Romney suggested that Biden should have fought to prevent the prosecution from moving forward, stating that pardoning Trump would have put Biden in a position of power over his predecessor.
Romney also expressed disapproval of the parade of Republican leaders who attended Trump’s trial, calling their actions “demeaning” and “embarrassing.” He specifically mentioned Senators Rick Scott, Tommy Tuberville, and JD Vance, as well as House Speaker Mike Johnson, among others, who were trying to gain favor with Trump.
The trial has drawn crowds of onlookers and press, providing a platform for Republican leaders to show their loyalty to Trump. Some, like Vance, even suggested that everyone involved in the trial was a Democratic operative. Scott, who accompanied Trump to court, defended his support for his “friend” and criticized the judge’s daughter, alleging her ties to Democrats.
Romney condemned his colleagues for attacking the US justice system to defend Trump, calling it a “terrible fault” and “demeaning.” He, along with Senator Lisa Murkowski, expressed frustration with the focus on the trial, questioning if there were more important matters to attend to.
Despite the criticism, Trump seemed pleased with the support from his surrogates at the trial, stating that they were speaking “very beautifully.” The spectacle surrounding Trump’s trial continues to divide opinions within the Republican Party.