Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) is on the warpath against failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney for virtue-signaling his way to a 2020 primary challenge against President Trump in a Washington Post op-ed in which he mercilessly trashed the leader of the free world for falling short of character.
“To a great degree, a presidency shapes the public character of the nation,” Romney said. “A president should unite us and inspire us to follow ‘our better angels.’ A president should demonstrate the essential qualities of honesty and integrity, and elevate the national discourse with comity and mutual respect.”
The newly-minted U.S. senator from Utah then lamented that President Trump stands out of line with the great presidents of the past. “As a nation, we have been blessed with presidents who have called on the greatness of the American spirit,” said Romney. “With the nation so divided, resentful and angry, presidential leadership in qualities of character is indispensable. And it is in this province where the incumbent’s shortfall has been most glaring.”
“The world needs American leadership, and it is in America’s interest to provide it,” he continued. “A world led by authoritarian regimes is a world — and an America — with less prosperity, less freedom, less peace.”
As one of President Trump’s loyal defenders, especially in the face of his more controversial decisions, Sen. Rand Paul blasted Romney on Twitter as a “Big Government Republican.”
“Like other Big Government Republicans who never liked Reagan, Mitt Romney wants to signal how virtuous he is in comparison to the President,” Paul tweeted. “Well, I’m most concerned and pleased with the actual conservative reform agenda @realDonaldTrump has achieved.”
According to the Washington Examiner, Sen. Rand Paul’s deputy chief of staff, Sergio Gor, later said that Rand Paul largely endorses President Trump’s conservative policies, including his tax cuts and judicial appointments. He said, “Sen. Rand Paul considers President Trump a friend, but beyond that, he is thrilled with his conservative policies, which have included historic tax cuts, massive regulation cuts, the appointment of constitutional jurists, and implementing an ‘America First’ foreign policy by focusing on America and not every problem around the world. This president is delivering on his promises, and moderate Republicans should work with him to fulfill even more.”
The Republican National Committee Chairwoman, Ronna McDaniel, Mitt Romney’s niece, equally slammed her own uncle for committing what was tantamount to political betrayal.
“POTUS is attacked and obstructed by the MSM media and Democrats 24/7. For an incoming Republican freshman senator to attack @realdonaldtrump as their first act feeds into what the Democrats and media want and is disappointing and unproductive,” McDaniel tweeted.
On Twitter, President Trump also rightly scolded Romney for being a failed presidential candidate, openly hoping he will not behave like former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake. He tweeted, “Here we go with Mitt Romney, but so fast! Question will be, is he a Flake? I hope not. Would much prefer that Mitt focus on Border Security and so many other things where he can be helpful. I won big, and he didn’t. He should be happy for all Republicans. Be a TEAM player & WIN!”