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President Trump blasted Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, for mistreating his Trump-backed colleague and reaffirmed his endorsement of the “outstanding” Sen. Mike Lee in Utah’s competitive Senate race.
“Mike Lee is an outstanding Senator who has been abused, in an unprecedented way, by a fellow Republican Senator from his own State, something which rarely has happened in political History,” Trump wrote Wednesday praising Lee, according to his Save America PAC. “Such an event would only be understandable if Mike did not perform his duties as a United States Senator, but he has, and he has performed them well.”
In addition to slamming Romney for refusing to back Lee, the president also criticized Lee’s rival, former Republican Evan McMullin, who is running as an Independent.
Trump took aim at McMullin, who he nicknamed “McMuffin,” saying he “should have no chance of winning” based “on his failed career as a politician.”
President Trump wrote:
“McMuffin does not represent the values of Utah, but neither, as you will see in two years, does Mitt Romney, who refuses to endorse his fellow Republican Senator, Mike Lee. Mike should now accept that fact and go on to win a race against a man who should have, based on his failed career as a politician, no chance of winning. Mike Lee is outstanding and has my Complete and Total Endorsement. Mitt Romney and Evan McMuffin can count on the fact that they will never have my Endorsement!”
According to The Hill, Lee has appealed to Romney to back him against McMullin.
While talking with Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Lee stated:
“Well, I’ve asked him. I’m asking him right here, again, tonight, right now. Mitt, if you’d like to protect the Republican majority, give us any chance of seizing the Republican majority, once again, getting it away from the Democrats, who are facilitating this massive spending spree in a massive inflationary binge, please get on board.”
Despite, Lee’s pleas, Romney has decided to stay out of the Senate race, saying he is “good friends” with both candidates.
“I’ve worked with Mike a lot and appreciate the work we do together. But both are good friends, and I’m going to stay out,” the senator said in a statement to The Hill.
Nonetheless, Lee is favored to win come November, with FiveThirtyEight giving the senator an average 7.6-point advantage over McMullin.
