Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney stated Saturday that he hasn’t made the decision whether he is going to endorse President Donald Trump for reelection in 2020.
“I will make that decision down the road,” Romney told CNN at the Utah GOP convention on Saturday. “As a person of political experience, if I endorse someone, I’ll want to know what’s in it for Utah and what help would he provide for us on key priorities in Utah. So I’m not a cheap date,” he added.
The 2012 Republican presidential nominee attended the Utah convention in order to secure the party’s nomination for Senate. Romney is fighting for the seat which is being vacated by retiring Senator Orrin Hatch.
Romney and Trump have a contentious history. In 2016, the former Massachusetts governor gave a speech in the waning days of the GOP primary. He asked Republicans not to support Trump, arguing that he lacked the character needed for the presidency. The two seemed to get past their issues, especially when Trump had a dinner with Romney after the election.
According to reports from that time, Trump was considering him to lead the State Department, a position which was eventually filled by Rex Tillerson.
However, the relationship broke again after Romney was passed up for the job. The former governor criticized Trump for his response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia last year and for other actions as well. Trump also encouraged Hatch repeatedly to run for reelection.
CNN reported that Romney announced his campaign for Senate earlier this year, with Hatch’s endorsement.
“I have decided to run for United States Senate because I believe I can help bring Utah’s values and Utah’s lessons to Washington. Utah is a better model for Washington than Washington is for Utah,” he said in a February campaign ad. “Given all that America faces, we feel that this is the right time to serve our state and our country.”
Trump endorsed Romney in February in a tweet, saying that he would make a “great senator.”
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