Mitt Romney was a task force of one during the impeachment hearings… and alone he’ll stay as President Trump fights to safely reopen our country.
The White House has released the names of a bipartisan task force that will spearhead the efforts to safely reopen the U.S. economy.
Every single U.S. Senator with the exception of Mitt Romney was invited to join the task force.
The task force will be named the “Opening Up America Again Congressional Group” to avoid confusion with the initial task force assigned with the responsibility of fighting the virus itself.
Romney, who many have accused of being bitter towards the president, was the only Republican who voted to impeach president Trump.
Though Trump endorsed and supported Romney during the primaries, Romney has appeared to undermine Trump at every turn.
Most recently, Romney even coordinated with Democrat Chris Murphy to create a “global health coordinator” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Murphy secretly met with Iran’s leaders in an attempt to create this position.
More details on this late-breaking development below:
While Democrats have attempted to politicize the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump has acted in the best interest of the American people.
By appointing a bipartisan committee to coordinate the reopening of America, Trump is showcasing his ability to bring leaders from both sides together.
Different perspectives and viewpoints will be discussed to ensure that the reopening of America benefits and protects every single citizen.
The Hill has more details on Romney's exclusion from the new task force:
Sen. Mitt Romney (Utah) is the only Republican senator not on a congressional task force created by the White House to study reopening parts of the country shuttered by the coronavirus.
A list released by the White House on Thursday afternoon of the "Opening Up America Again Congressional Group" included nearly 70 senators, including all 52 of Romney's GOP colleagues in the chamber.
A spokeswoman for Romney and a source familiar confirmed that the GOP senator was not asked to take part in the task force.
Trump has viewed the Utah senator, and 2012 GOP presidential nominee, as a Republican antagonist since he joined the Senate in 2019.
Romney was the only GOP senator to vote for one of the articles — abuse of power — during the Senate impeachment trial earlier this year.
But the bad blood goes back years. Romney was critical of Trump during the 2016 Republican presidential primary, and Trump lashed out at Romney in February 2016 as "one of the dumbest and worst candidates in the history of Republican politics."
The two appeared to reconcile with Trump considering Romney for a Cabinet post and endorsing his Senate bid in 2018.
But Romney has publicly broken with Trump at times since joining the Senate, including appearing critical of Trump's rhetoric regarding the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and saying he was "sickened" by Trump's behavior as described in former special counsel Robert Mueller's report.
There are many Republicans who have accused Romney of being a "Never Trump" Republican.
Though many in the media will inevitably accuse Trump of holding a grudge, the reality is that Romney is the one who has continuously appeared to undermine the president.
While Trump has extended the proverbial olive branch through endorsements and potential cabinet appointments, Romney has appeared to move against the president's every interest.
The U.S. economy came to a screeching halt due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which resulted in a nationwide shutdown.
Now, the Trump administration wants to ensure that the lives and livelihoods of every American citizen is protected.
There is no time for political games or backstabbing.
Lives and livelihoods are on the table.
The president was right to appoint only those he could rely on to do what is in the best interest for everyone in the nation.
The New York Post reports that Romney has consistently undermined President Trump:
The “Opening Up American Again Congressional Group” includes almost 70 senators, including a dozen Democrats and all 52 of the Utah lawmaker’s Republican colleagues in the upper chamber.
A spokeswoman for Romney confirmed to The Hill that the senator was not invited to take part in the task force.
Romney also was not included on a phone call on Thursday in which Trump spoke with senators of both parties about the coronavirus, a senior administration official told USA Today.
Asked about why Romney was not welcomed, the official simply said, “He wasn’t invited.”
Romney, the GOP’s nominee for president in 2012, has been a frequent critic of the president, who called him a “pompous ass” in a tweet after the senator criticized him for urging foreign leaders to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden.
He was the only GOP senator to vote to convict Trump of abuse of power, but the bad blood between the two goes back years.
States like Ohio and Texas are leading the way with state-wide plans to safely reopen their economies.
With the new Opening Up America Again Congressional Group, states will receive stronger guidance on how to best restart their economies without jeopardizing human health.
As usual, President Trump has focused on tackling the issues that benefit all Americans.
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