Romney calls on younger generations to "step forward" after announcing he won't run in 2024

So, you have already seen the statement I posted. I don't know if I want to repeat that, but if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer those questions. You know, I considered my age. and the fact that at the end of a second term I would be around 80 years old and I think it's time for people like me to get out of the way and have people of the Next Generation

step

forward

because they are going to be shaping the world in the one they're going to live in and for the last couple of decades, people my age, the Boomers, have done pretty well, we've voted for all kinds of benefits and programs for ourselves and we haven't paid for them and I think some of the people coming next want to weigh in on how we leave Earth and how they prepare for the future they're going to live in, critical of Trump if you will. with him probably on the ballot next year, it would give him trouble running for re-election, you know, there was a recent poll in Utah that had shown very strong numbers.

I was very happy to see that I did the same with people in Utah. Not everyone agrees with me on the stance that I took regarding Donald Trump, but they respect people who vote their conscience and uh, and I appreciate that to my fellow citizens and I have no doubt in my mind that they don't. I don't want to fight a race again I just don't think we need another 80 year old uh I'm a bit outdated now we don't need more like me the issues of the day relate to climate change China Ai and many of the guys from 80 years old who know how to deal with those problems, you mentioned your age as one of the reasons for not running for re-election, it's a good way to tell some of your colleagues who are older that maybe it's time for them too resign.

Well, everyone will make their own decision, of course, and consider their own circumstances. I only see my age and where I am. I wish I knew I was going to be like Chuck Grassley and be able to be vigorous and dynamic into my 90s. I could have made a different decision, but you never know, but I believe that the times we live in demand that the Next Generation

step

forward

and express their point of view and make these decisions that will shape our American politics for the future. next century and having a group of guys who were around the Baby Boomers who were around in the post-war era are not the ones to make the decisions of tomorrow. where is the republican party when you look at the republican party, particularly where the house of representatives is, do you feel like this is a republican party that respects former president donald trump?

Well, there is no doubt, but the Republican Party today is in the shadows. of Donald Trump uh, he is the leader of most of the Republican party, he is a populist, I think the demagogue part of the party, uh, look, I represent a small wing of a party, so to speak, I call it the wise wing of the republican party, uh. and I don't think we're going to disappear, I think we'll ultimately see a resurgence and return to the leadership of the party. Looking at the party's wing talks about policies and issues that will make a difference in the lives of the American people, the Trump wing of the party talks about resentments of various kinds, revenge, settling scores and reviewing the 2020 elections, which They are the policies for the future and my party will only be successful if it gets young people to vote for us.

If we are talking about the future and that is not happening so far in that other way of fighting in that way towards the party and taking a step and stepping aside and that many members of your party simply do not believe in the Constitution, what do you want? say? Well, I was at a rally where someone told me, you know, if you're elected, this was when I ran for Senate last time, yes, if you're elected, you're going to shut down ABC, NBC and CBS because they're not telling the truth and this was at a Republican rally and I said: there really is no doubt, there is no doubt that there is a part of my party and the opposition party that thinks we need to have a strong person, a strong man. that set aside the Constitution, but in fact, President Trump, former President Trump, said we should set aside the Constitution to reinstate him as president.

I mean, yeah, there are some people who believe that. I think they are very wrong. I think the vast majority. of Americans think they're wrong, but uh uh and in terms of what I'm going to do, I want more young people to vote and get involved in the political process and that's something that I'm going to dedicate myself to. After the next year and a half when I stop by, who do you plan to endorse as your successor as Governor Cox? Mia Love, Congresswoman Owens, and second, why not stay and, you know, fight for what you believe in, even if it takes you back to the mid-80s, in part because I think we see other young people making those decisions.

By the way, I have no intention of making endorsements, I think the endorsements are what John McCain's old line is. You're not worth a bucket of spit, who the hell cares, who can hold out too. You make your decision as a voter based on what you think about the candidate and his point of view and his vision, and you don't care what someone else said. so I'm not thinking about who you want to be successful. I don't have a comment under "suck me." I hope we have a very strong contender and it is someone who is a little

younger

than me, if you think you are too old, what about politics, much older than you?

Do you think they should run again? Oh, I think it would be great if both President Biden and former President Trump would step aside and let their respective parties pick someone next. Generation, President Trump, assuming President Biden when he was running, said that he was a transitional figure to the Next Generation. Well, it's time for the transition. David Ignatius this morning made a strong argument that we should see that kind of change. I think both sides would be much better off if they were to be represented by people other than us baby boomers person uh achievements in your previous statement are you at all concerned about the rows of senators that are at the table forming? gangs that's working well, we had a group of about 10 of us and that group has dissipated a bit.

Rob Portman is gone, you know, Susan Collins has really become the ranking member of Appropriations, that has to be her focus, so you. I have a Cinema Mansion dressing room on the Democratic side, so we're all pulling in different directions these days, coming together like we did was very unusual. Look, I recognize that, uh, you know, initially I had an embarrassment of riches, which is like a first-term Senator, I got together with a group of other people and we got a lot of things done, a coveted relief package when the White House and then-Speaker Pelosi achieved nothing and the infrastructure bill of the electoral account law, religious freedom was reformed. protections in the Marriage Act gun safety legislation we did a lot, which was a lot of fun, it's unusual and I'm looking forward to it's going to be more challenging for something like this to happen again Senator, are you going to run for elected office again ?

Will you run for office again? Senior position in the Senate. I never imagined I'd run this time and I can't imagine doing it again, but there's that old line from Dumb and Dumber that says, "You know, there's a one in a million chance." you're saying there's a possibility, so I'm certainly not planning on that. I have no future campaigns in mind from some of your colleagues on both sides of the aisle when it comes to missing your leadership, losing your involvement in these issues, and secondly, something you will most likely be a part of is another impeachment in the Senate, this time the question is provided what is your answer to that.

Well, today I was encouraged because I received a text message from a large number of my colleagues saying that they are going to miss me. I appreciate being encouraged by the poll in Utah a couple of weeks ago that was very, very encouraging and a very positive approval rating that feels good, uh, but uh. You know, following George Costanza's example, which is, you leave when they laugh, you leave when they want you to stay and I and I really don't want to be in an institution where people say why. Are you still talking about it? I'm going to continue working over the next year and a half to really address the three or four big issues: immigration, the level of our debt, we have a climate, a climate. change strategy and a strategy agreement, another impeachment, uh, you know, I know the house is starting and teaching them to investigate, um, I haven't heard any accusations of anything that would rise to the level of a felony or a misdemeanor, I think it would be It's very unusual to see an impeachment referral.

I don't expect that to happen. They can acquire and see if there is evidence that that shows something else. I don't think they'll find that. I don't know, but there have been no accusations. to that and any hint of that has been denied by the president, so I don't expect that to happen, people, as you said, are laughing at you, what do you say to some of your colleagues? They were laughing at George Costanza, they say. that's for me too, but that's different, what do you say to some of your colleagues, including Republican leader Mitch McConnell and Senator van Feinstein, who are going through their health diagnosis and facing criticism for resigning?

Well, you know, in his position, for example, For example, look at Mitch McConnell, he's the leader of the Republican caucus, what he's able to do at his age is really extraordinary, I mean, and I'm the first. I'm a first-term senator, even as a second-term senator, I wouldn't be a committee chair or ranking member. It would be a young person trying to get things done and fighting through the regular order process. I was able to overcome that with this gang that came together, but he is in a position to make a real difference. at his age, you know, if I were the Senate majority leader, I might, uh, I might make a different decision too, but I'm not here in the excerpt from the book that just came out today, which has at least some memories Peter's toughs.

McConnell, are you disappointed in the leadership that you've seen in the Republican Party from him and that you've found particularly in the impeachment trials and then in dealing with Trump? No, I actually have great respect for Leader McConnell and one of the A mystery to me is why he is so unpopular in national polls. I don't understand that he is the only reason we have a conservative Supreme Court. I hope people recognize that he is also a very effective leader of our group when you have 50 people, a Republican group, basically 50 of us, each of whom thinks he should be president, how to lead a group like that is not easy. and he's done it with skill and ability for a number of years so I have nothing but the utmost respect for him uh and uh and there's nothing that I know of in the book that the McKay captains have written that is critical of the leader , I mean, me and I, personal conversations, private conversations and their public. pronouncements I haven't been anything but impressed a little bit more with those specific things because, uh, those weren't quotes for me, but rather quotes from a member of my staff who actually quoted that, so I won't comment on that, but I think, but I think Texas, I think the point was with respect to that comment, which is that I think Leader McConnell thought it was not a great idea for Donald Trump to criticize the jurors at the time when we were deliberating, was an obvious point and then what about crossing paths with Holly because she said yeah, I really think that, um, a lot of the people in leadership, I mean, elected officials who claimed that 2020 was a stolen election that we need to tell. ballots or any other way other than through the normal judicial process.

I think they are doing better. And I have expressed that on numerous occasions that is not a surprise. Democracy requires faith and credibility in elections and, therefore, the people who are generating dispersions. about our electoral process are threatening one of the foundations of our own foundation, so, yes, I was critical of that and I still am, and I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised to hear it again, oh, I think, I think, I think, I think . It's after the next election, no matter what, there will be a lot of people around the capitol to make sure that doesn't happen again, what do you think it will take for the party to not be so dominated by Donald Trump?

I saw an article in the Atlantic that pointed out that young people are not sympathetic to Maga's message and I think that's true. If Donald Trump is there, there will be someone who follows him, who follows in his footsteps and gives the same populism. pattern uh, I don't think it will be successful in the long term because I think that young people are paying much more attention they are not going to be absorbed by populist notions and, because of that, I think our party will return to whether it will be the wise wing of the Republican Party ?

As time goes on, Trump will lead in the polls. He will probably be your nominee. You are an outsider in the party. Yeah, no sign of what you're saying at parties. I won't talk about it for the next two years, I'm talking about the next decade or so, I mean, I just want toto say that populism does not work. I quote that quote from M.L Menken that says that for every complex problem there is a solution that is simple, clear and wrong and unfortunately that is what we are hearing over and over again in the Trump wing of the party, I have not heard another policy to say that we're going to build a wall and by the way, he was president, he was president for four years, he built 50 miles, why did he do it?

He said well, how about the tax change? Well, the tax was Paul Ryan, that was not Biden's plan, he did it, of course, he had a health care plan. Remember that meant everyone would have low cost health insurance which was great, it was never proposed. I've never seen it be in four years, so it's not a policy-focused approach and if you don't have policy that matches your rhetoric, ultimately it's not going to be successful at the end of the day, um, in McKay's article. um, you. It is mentioned or mentioned that he has spoken to Joe Manchin about the possibility of starting a third political party.

Is there any interest in issues that have somewhat disappeared? Oh, that was several months ago, who knows what could happen. I think Senator Manchin is looking for more. up close at No Labels at the moment I can't speak for him, but Joe and I talk a lot and I bounce ideas off of him. In fact, I think a third party candidate would make it more likely that he's just a spoiler. He wouldn't be successful in choosing anyone, so that's not in his career. He wants to step aside and let the new generation come in. What are you doing about it?

What am I doing about it? Well, one of the things I intend to do is go to college campuses and speak on college campuses to encourage young people to run for office and vote, and you know, I don't think there's a way to mandate this. I probably wouldn't do it, but I like colleges and universities. insist on young people voting and make it easy to have voting booths on campus and make sure we have more young people because that's the world they're going to inherit thanks guys, have you talked to the president? President Biden, have you spoken to the president yes, I see that Express ignores yes yes thank you thank you very much.

I was asked if I had spoken to President Biden and the answer is yes and he was very generous and kind in his comments.