Mitt Romney Calls Trump the “Kiss of Death” for GOP

(NewsReady.com) – The GOP is currently working to find out why its midterm election gains were far smaller than expected. Many in the party are questioning whether former President Donald Trump’s endorsements helped or harmed candidates. Recently, a Republican senator has savaged Trump, saying he’s now a liability for the party.

.@MittRomney on Herschel Walker's Senate loss: "President Trump lost again. […] He's, if you will, the kiss of death for somebody who wants to win a general election. And at some point, we've got to move on and look for new leaders that will lead us to win." pic.twitter.com/ubJRZQnyb9

— The Hill (@thehill) December 12, 2022

The last act of the 2022 midterms closed on December 6, when Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) successfully fought off his Trump-endorsed Republican challenger Herschel Walker. Warnock’s victory means the next Senate will have a razor-thin Democrat majority instead of the predicted Republican control, and Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) is blaming it on Trump.

Romney, a long-time critic of the last president, told reporters last week that Trump is “the kiss of death” if the GOP wants to win a general election, and “at some point, we’ve got to move on,” according to People. Romney has always belonged to the party’s anti-Trump faction, so his criticism isn’t surprising; but this time, he’s not alone.

Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), another senior Republican who has often clashed with the president, has claimed Trump’s interventions meant the party “couldn’t control” primary results, leaving it with some unsuitable candidates. Virginia Lieutenant-Governor Winsome Earle-Sears (R), a former strong Trump supporter, now says his endorsements are harming candidates and repeated Romney’s message about moving on.

Trump does still have supporters; Representative Elise Stefanik (R-NY) said on December 9 that “it’s very clear President Trump is the leader of the Republican Party.” A growing number of her colleagues disagree, though.

Should GOP voters give Trump another chance, or is it time to move on?