There’s clearly no love lost between Donald Trump and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT).
Although Romney was the GOP nominee for president in 2012, he has since fallen out of line with his own party.
He routinely disparages Trump and those who support the 45th president — and Trump’s supporters hope to hold him accountable for it.
As Romney prepares to seek re-election in 2024, it appears that he will face opposition from both sides of the aisle.
Before he gets to campaign against a Democratic candidate in the general election, he’s almost guaranteed to square off against a pro-Trump Republican in the primary election.
And Politico seems to know who that challenger is likely to be:
Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes, who backed Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election results, is preparing for a 2024 Senate run that could pit him against Sen. Mitt Romney in a GOP primary.
Reyes, who has been elected statewide three times, in recent weeks has discussed the matter with key players in Utah politics and with allies of the former president, according to a person who is familiar with Reyes’ plans. Reyes will make a final decision and likely announce his intentions in May.
“Sean is very seriously considering running, regardless if Mitt runs or not,” the person said. “He’s confident that regardless of what Sen. Romney wants to do, he’s going to pursue this.”
In addition to Trump, who has repeatedly referred to Romney as a RINO (or a “Republican in Name Only”), he’s also received ample criticism from other prominent figures within his own party.
What a disgrace. https://t.co/p69hGqeArW
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 15, 2022
The Senate backed Rand Paul’s efforts to scrap mask mandates on public transport by voting Tuesday 57-40 in favour of ending the restrictions on planes and trains. The only Republican to vote against ending the mandate was Mitt Romney.https://t.co/zUzZu5VEWu
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) March 16, 2022
I love this photo so much. pic.twitter.com/N9G8D1xnZh
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) March 16, 2022
Romney also earned the ire of one Democrat who has been embraced by the GOP’s pro-Trump wing in recent weeks.
He accused former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) of being a mouthpiece for Russian President Vladimir Putin, and she responded by calling on him to resign from Congress.
Tulsi Gabbard is parroting false Russian propaganda. Her treasonous lies may well cost lives.
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) March 13, 2022
.@MittRomney and others say that I'm treasonous because I called for a ceasefire around the 25+ biolabs in Ukraine to prevent the breach of such facilities & escape of pathogens, and prevent more pandemics. Romney should resign. pic.twitter.com/nNhmM74xo1
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) March 14, 2022
In addition to his unpopular vote to impeach Trump, he has gone on to voice a range of opinions that did not sit well with many Republicans.
Most recently, he voted against a measure that would lift a federal COVID-19 mask mandates.
According to Fox News:
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, was the only Republican to vote against repealing President Biden’s yearlong transportation mask mandate.
Romney voted against the bill that passed the Senate Tuesday (57-40) with bipartisan support, which saw eight Democrats buck their party to vote with the GOP.
The Utah Republican was the only member of his party to vote against the bill.
An aide for the senator told Fox News Digital in a Wednesday email that Romney has been outspoken about following health guidance and believes that Americans should follow the CDC’s guidance.
As for the possibility of a pro-Trump candidate challenging Romney in two years, Trump would surely support such a bid.
Here’s a video clip in which he called on the Utah senator to be a “team player.”
Should Romney be replaced by another Republican?
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