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Find KUER's reporting on the races, candidates and more for Utah’s 2018 midterm elections. Click here for our graphics of the U.S. Senate race, 4 Congressional races and Utah ballot initiatives.

On Twitter, Romney Condemns Trump’s Slur

File Photo / KUER

Mitt Romney took to Twitter on Monday to blast President Trump’s reported comments about Haiti and countries in Africa. The tweet signals that Romney could remain a critic of the White House if he decides to run for Senate.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Romney called Trump’s comments “inconsistent w/ America’s history and antithetical to American values.”

The tweet illustrates Romney’s antagonistic relationship with President Trump. It also shows that if the former governor of Massachusetts runs for Senate and wins, he could remain a Trump critic in Congress.

Tim Chambless is a political scientist with the University of Utah who says Romney likely hasn’t forgotten the public embarrassment Trump put him through last year, when Romney was passed over for the Secretary of State appointment.

Credit Drew Angerer / Getty Images

“It’s personal,” Chambless said. “It’s not just a disagreement on public policy issues, it’s deeply personal.”

“I would not be surprised if a freshman U.S. Senator Mitt Romney would criticize a fellow Republican in the White House,” he said.  

Romney is expected to announce his bid for Senate soon, if not this week.

If he does announce, Romney’s chances of victory are high. In the 2012 presidential election, 72 percent of Utahns voted for Romney over Barack Obama.

The prominent Mormon is headlining two events in coming days. On Tuesday, he’s keynoting an economic and policy summit hosted by the Salt Lake Chamber.

On Friday, he’ll speak at the Silicon Slopes summit for Utah’s tech community. Gov. Gary Herbert and U.S. Senator Jeff Flake are also on the agenda for that morning. 

Nicole Nixon holds a Communication degree from the University of Utah. She has worked on and off in the KUER Newsroom since 2013, when she first joined KUER as an intern. Nicole is a Utah native. Besides public radio, she is also passionate about beautiful landscapes and breakfast burritos.
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