Online
\nUnited States
\nThe former Republican US presidential candidate and incoming senator for Utah Mitt Romney has launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump, saying he has caused dismay around the world.
\nWriting in the Washington Post, he said Trump had not \u201crisen to the mantle\u201d of the presidency. Romney has been fiercely critical of Trump before but won his backing for his run in Utah.
\nThere has been no response yet from the US president.
\nHe has previously attacked Romney as a \u201cfailed candidate\u201d and his manager for the 2020 presidential campaign accused him of jealousy.
\nThe timing of the article, just two days before Romney is sworn-in, prompted some to speculate he was positioning himself as a challenger to Trump securing the Republican presidential nomination.
\nIn the article, Romney praised many of Trump\u2019s policies, such his tax reforms and appointment of conservative judges, ones he said \u201cmainstream Republicans have promoted for years\u201d.
\nBut he went on to say: \u201cWith the nation so divided, resentful and angry, presidential leadership in qualities of character is indispensable. And it is in this province where the incumbent\u2019s shortfall has been most glaring.\u201d
\n\u201cThe world is also watching,\u201d he added. \u201cTrump\u2019s words and actions have caused dismay around the world.\u201d
\nRomney said he would support the president in policies he thought were in the best interests of Utah or the US but speak out against actions \u201cthat are divisive, racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, dishonest or destructive to democratic institutions\u201d.
\nIt is complicated. During the 2016 campaign, Romney said Trump had neither \u201cthe temperament nor the judgement to be president\u201d while Trump called Romney a \u201cchoke artist\u201d and called his bid for the presidency in 2012 \u201cthe worst ever\u201d.
\nThe same year though, the pair met for dinner amid reports Trump was mulling appointingRomney as his secretary of state.
\nRomney has also taken issue with Trump labelling the press the \u201cenemy of the people\u201d as well as his response to a violent far-right rally in Charlottesville.
\nWhen US Congress reconvenes on Thursday, Trump faces a new challenge on the domestic front – in November\u2019s mid-terms the Republicans strengthened their hold of the Senate but lost the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Online United States The former Republican US presidential candidate and incoming senator for Utah Mitt Romney has launched a scathing attack on Donald Trump, saying he has caused dismay around the world. Writing in the Washington Post, he said Trump had not \u201crisen to the mantle\u201d of the presidency. Romney has been fiercely critical of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world"],"yoast_head":"\n