Trump Brands Romney a 'Democrat Secret Asset' in Video
President Donald Trump slammed Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) as a “Democrat secret asset” who attempted to “infiltrate” his administration as secretary of state following the 2016 election in a video shared to Twitter Friday evening.
REPUBLICANS MUST STICK TOGETHER AND FIGHT! pic.twitter.com/chnSNURfFx
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 18, 2019
In the one-minute video, the narrator states Romney’s cover was “blown,” andhe was “exposed by news reports as a Democrat secret asset.” The video then shows highlights of the Utah Republican’s 2012 presidential campaign defeat, following by clips of the president’s successful bid in 2016. President-Elect Trump briefly considered Romney for the role of secretary of state, but ultimatly selected Exxon Mobile CEO Rex Tillerson for the high-profile post.
The video’s release comes as Romney, a longtime Trump critic, has criticized the president’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria and his suggestion for China and Ukraine to investigate allegations of corruption against former Vice President Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden.
On Thursday, the freshman senator blasted the administration’s announcement of a five-day cease-fire between Turkey and Kurdish military forces in the region. Romney said:
The announcement today is being portrayed as a victory. It is far from a victory. Serious questions remain about how the decision was reached precipitously to withdraw from Syria and why that decision was reached. Adding insult to dishonor, the administration speaks cavalierly, even flippantly, even as our ally has suffered death and casualty.
Of President Trump’s plea for foreign governments to probe into the Bidens, Romney called the move “shocking” and “against the law.”
Romney told Axios:
Going on TV and saying, ‘China, will you investigate my political opponent’ is wrong, it’s a mistake; it was shocking, in my opinion, for the president to do so. I can’t imagine coming to a different point of view.
“We certainly can’t have presidents asking foreign countries to provide something of political value, that is, after wall, against the law,” he added.
In true Trump fashion, the president hasn’t taken Romney’s most recent criticism laying down. In a tweet earlier this month, the president called the NeverTrump lawmaker a “pompous ass” and demanded he be impeached.
Trump tweeted:
“I’m hearing that the Great People of Utah are considering their vote for their Pompous Senator, Mitt Romney, to be a big mistake. I agree! He is a fool who is playing right into the hands of the Do Nothing Democrats! #IMPEACHMITTROMNEY.