Ousted GOP Rep. Mia Love on Trump’s politics: ‘No real relationships, just convenient transactions’

Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah) rebuked President Trump on Monday, describing his view of politics as a series of “convenient transactions,” in her first comments since the president mocked her and other GOP lawmakers who lost their elections for not embracing him on the campaign trail.

“When the president, President Trump took a jab at me because he thought that the race was over, and he lamented that I wouldn’t ask him to come to the state of Utah, I was somewhat surprised at first,” Love told supporters and journalists during a speech in Salt Lake City that marked her first comments since she lost her race to Democrat Ben McAdams by fewer than 700 votes in Utah’s 4th Congressional District.

{mosads}”The president’s behavior toward me made me wonder, what did he have to gain by saying such a thing about a fellow Republican?” said Love, the first African-American Republican woman elected to the House.

“It was not really about asking him to do more, was it? Or was it something else?” she said. “Well, Mr. President, we’ll have to chat about that.”

Love then stated that Trump’s actions presented a “clear vision” of his view of the world. 

“No real relationships, just convenient transactions,” she said. “That is an insufficient way to implement sincere service and policy.”

At a press conference the day after the midterms, Trump singled out Love and other GOP lawmakers who did not embrace him on the campaign trail.

“Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost,” Trump said. “Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.”

Love briefly pulled ahead in the race as votes continued to be counted after Trump’s comments, but then fell behind for good. McAdams’s victory was one of dozens of seats Democrats flipped this month to retake the House majority.

The outgoing representative said Monday that the campaign was indicative of broader problems that politicians in Washington, D.C., and Republicans in particular, have connecting with minorities.

“It’s transactional, it’s not personal,” she said. “We feel like politicians claim they know what’s best for us from a safe distance, yet they’re never willing to take us home. Because Republicans never take minority communities into their home and citizens into their homes and into their hearts, they stay with Democrats.”

Love closed by telling attendees that she is “untethered” and able to say “exactly what’s on my mind” moving forward. She did not rule out running again in 2020.

LIVE: Watch Rep. Love’s speech discussing her race and a pathway forward for our country. #utpol https://t.co/QJ8FRWXNsv

— Mia Love (@MiaBLove) November 26, 2018