Mitt Romney is opposing Donald Trump for the sake of his grandkids
As the remaining Republican hold-outs against Donald Trump hunker down for the long haul, Mitt Romney is finding himself in lonelier and lonelier company. Having repeatedly spoken out against Trump to seemingly no avail, Romney confessed to The Wall Street Journal, "I know that some people are offended that someone who lost and is the former nominee continues to speak, but that's how I can sleep at night. And there are some people, though it's a small number, who still value my opinion."
Romney said that he realizes his comments against Trump could ultimately help Hillary Clinton, and he is still looking for a candidate who he can support in November. He will write one in if need be. "Others, including myself, believe our first priority should be to stand by our principles and if those are in conflict with the nominee, the principles come first," Romney said.
Trump has repeatedly countered Romney's attacks, calling him a "choker" and claiming "I've got a store worth more than he is." But when Romney's son Josh asked in March, "When the grandkids ask, 'What did you do to stop Donald Trump?' what are you going to say?" Romney realized there was only one way he was going to get through this election with a good conscience.
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"I wanted my grandkids to see that I simply couldn't ignore what Mr. Trump was saying and doing, which revealed a character and temperament unfit for the leader of the free world," Romney said.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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