Romney retires as Trump dominates new Republican Party
Happening this Thursday: President Biden He stares down Impeachment inquiry…Biden delivers economic speech in Largo, Maryland, 2:45 p.m. ET…Vice President Harris begins ‘Fight for Our Liberties’ college tour at Hampton University in Virginia…New Washington Post/Monmouth Poll Offers Donald Trump by a wide margin in South Carolina… and NBC’s Kristen Welker Interviews Trump card.
but Firstly…The political story of Mitt Romney, who announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election to the Senate next year, has always been in large part a story about Donald Trump.
Romney invited Trump to join the Republican Party when he accepted its endorsement in 2012, despite Trump’s crusade; Romney then denounced Trump’s presidential bid in 2016; Romney ran for Senate in 2018 to be an independent voice from Trump. He is the only Republican senator to have voted twice to convict Trump in his impeachment trials.
“Although he has had an illustrious political and business career in the public eye, Romney’s more recent chapters have often been defined by his relationship with Trump — and his decision not to run will no doubt be viewed through that lens,” Semaphore wrote.
Romney’s last decade in the political spotlight is also a story about a changing Republican Party.
Whoever replaces him in the ruby-red state of Utah – Amy Walter’s Cook Political Report with Jessica Taylor – will be more conservative and friendlier to Trump than Romney currently is.
(It’s similar to J.D. Vance, who succeeded Rob Portman as Senator from Ohio, or Marsha Blackburn, who replaced Bob Corker as Senator from Tennessee.)
Romney’s story is about an aging politician who wants to leave office – unlike the sitting president, the current GOP presidential nominee, the Senate minority leader, the senior senator from California and others.
“At the end of another term, I will be in my mid-80s,” Romney said. He said In his video he announces that he will not seek re-election. “Frankly, it is time for a new generation of leaders. They are the people who have to make the decisions that will shape the world they will live in.
Today’s headline
Today’s number is…4
That’s how many Republican senators among the seven who voted to convict former President Donald Trump when he was impeached in 2021 chose to retire or leave the Senate rather than face voters in his re-election campaign.
Romney became the latest in this group to announce that he will not seek another term on Wednesday.
Two former senators who declined to run for reelection in 2022 — Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania and Richard Burr of North Carolina — announced their retirement decisions before the impeachment vote. Former Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, who was up for re-election in 2026, left Congress in January to become president of the University of Florida.
Of the three remaining senators, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska won her re-election race last year. Senators Susan Collins of Maine and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana are up for re-election in 2026.
Other numbers to know
3.7%: How high will prices be for US consumers in August compared to last year?
6: The number of GOP senators who have signed a letter asking Attorney General Merrick Garland to intervene and “protect the constitutional rights” of New Mexico residents, where Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has temporarily banned open and concealed carry of firearms, Fox News reports.
10: The number of votes separating an incumbent mayor and an alderman facing criminal charges for his actions in the Jan. 6 Connecticut mayoral primary, which is headed to a recount.
406: The number of House members who voted for a bill to improve how the government tracks wildfire prevention after an NBC News story detailed problems with the current process.
More than 6: The number of years a Trump supporter was sentenced to prison after he clashed with law enforcement officers in the January 6 riot at the Capitol and then bragged about it online.
20,000: The number of people feared dead after devastating floods in Libya this week.
$240 million: How big is the White House’s cancer pledge, plus more resources, to advance the administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative?
Eyes on 2024: Biden stares down impeachment battle
President Joe Biden is locked in a potential impeachment battle as he runs for re-election, but he said Wednesday he is focused on other issues.
“I wake up every day, no joke, not focused on accountability,” Biden said at a campaign reception in Virginia. “I have a job to do. I have to deal with issues that affect the American people every day.”
This is in line with the White House’s impeachment strategy, according to the New York Times, which reports that the White House plans to have Biden’s staff focus on the impeachment fight while he focuses on other policy issues.
On Wednesday morning, the White House issued a memo rejecting Republican allegations of corruption surrounding Biden’s alleged involvement in his son Hunter’s international business dealings. The White House also called on news organizations to “scrutinize Republicans’ patently false claims.”
Meanwhile, House Democrats are preparing to defend the president by distancing himself from Hunter, according to Politico. They will also aim to portray House Republicans as far-right, led by Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (after her recent meeting with former President Trump) rather than House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
In other campaign news…
DeSantis Donors: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is heading to New York for a fundraiser with Wall Street executives, according to CNBC’s Brian Schwartz. The Washington Post reports that in late 2018, DeSantis took “at least six undisclosed trips on private planes and prior lodging and dining” that were not disclosed as gifts or campaign contributions.
Vaccine policy: On Wednesday, the DeSantis administration advised Floridians under the age of 65 not to receive the updated Covid vaccine, NBC News’ Aria Bendix and Matt Dixon reported, in contravention of federal guidance.
backing down: Former Vice President Mike Pence initially said impeachment investigations should begin with a full House vote, but then softened his tone after McCarthy said he would not do so, according to Sarah Dean of NBC News.
Polling staff: Biden has named veteran Democratic strategist Mindy Myers as his campaign’s polling chief, according to Politico.
Granite State Drama: New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan said Wednesday that a presidential candidate who “properly files his or her paperwork during the filing period and pays the required fees” will appear on the ballot in his state, amid challenges to Trump’s nomination over his role at the Capitol on Jan. 6. Riots, NBC News’ Emma Barnett reported. In New Hampshire’s Democratic primary, the Democratic National Committee is expected to vote on Thursday to give the state more time to comply with its new primary calendar, according to Politico.
Debate policy: South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott’s campaign is urging the Republican National Committee to prioritize early voting in the state in determining platform placement and qualifying thresholds for future debates, a move that would benefit Scott, who polls better in states like Iowa than it is at the national level. .
Should I stay or should I leave? The Washington Post reports on private meetings held by West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin about his political future, with guests including former President Bill Clinton, as he weighs whether to run for president, run for re-election as an independent or retire.
Arrow pointing down: New York Stock Exchange Vice Chairman John Tuttle will not run for Senate in Michigan, Politico reported.
Uphill battle: Democrat Ryan Posey, a former firearms executive who later became a prominent critic of the industry, is running for governor of Montana, where he hopes to anger GOP Gov. Greg Gianforte.
ICYMI: What’s going on in the world:
Alaska Rep. Mary Peltola died Wednesday in a plane crash, her office announced.
Republican Representatives James Comer and Jim Jordan briefed a group of Republican senators on the House impeachment inquiry into President Biden on Wednesday.
