Romney Has Reasons for Not Backing Kamala Harris

Sen. Mitt Romney, who has for years resisted the lure of the MAGA movement and Donald Trump, now is frustrating the other side. Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign and Romney's fellow Republicans who are supporting her want the former GOP presidential nominee to do the same. To have much effect on voters, the Washington Post reports, any endorsement of the Democratic presidential nominee should be made any time now. Romney would seem to be a likely crossover candidate: He was the only Senate Republican to vote to convict Trump in his first impeachment trial and all along has criticized the former president and current GOP nominee, as well as his effect on the Republican Party.

But Romney has rebuffed Harris campaign entreaties, and a Democratic endorsement doesn't seem to be happening. He's played down the significance of his preference. "People know where I stand on Donald Trump, and that's enough," he told the Post. Romney has praised Harris at times, saying after her debate with Trump, praising her debate performance against Trump and saying she's an "intelligent, capable person who has a point of view on issues"—and stopping there. Romney, who's in his final months in the Senate, also has brought up the safety of his family, especially if Trump takes control of the Justice Department. "How am I going to protect 25 grandkids, two great-grandkids?" he said in an interview with the Atlantic.

He's also told people he wants to be in a position to restore the Republican Party order after Trump, per the Post. Republicans for Harris say the danger Trump poses is more immediate. Stephanie Grisham said that with the presidential race so close, not endorsing Harris and not voting for her is an insufficient response. "You're throwing away your vote and the opportunity to get rid of extremism," she said. Romney has said he wrote in his wife's name in the past two elections. Former Rep. Liz Cheney agreed with Grisham that that's not enough, telling ABC News that it's important to "actually cast a vote for Vice President Harris." (More Mitt Romney stories.)