Former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) on Monday threw his support behind former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney, who is reportedly weighing a Senate run in Utah.
Bush’s endorsement on Twitter comes shortly after Romney criticized President Trump for reportedly describing African nations, Haiti and El Salvador as “shithole countries” during a meeting with lawmakers on immigration reform last week.{mosads}
“The poverty of an aspiring immigrant’s nation of origin is as irrelevant as their race. The sentiment attributed to POTUS is inconsistent w/ America’s history and antithetical to American values. May our memory of Dr. King buoy our hope for unity, greatness, & ‘charity for all,'” Romney tweeted on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.
Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, has vocally criticized Trump on numerous occasions.
Other Republicans have also voiced their support of Romney, hoping he will take over the Utah seat when Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) retires at the end of his current term.
Trump had reportedly urged Hatch to seek reelection, but the longest-serving current senator announced his plans to step down earlier this month.
Some Senate Republicans are eager for Romney to run because they believe he would serve as an independent voice who is not afraid to stand up against his own party’s president.
Trump faced immense backlash for the alleged “shithole” comment, with some lawmakers accusing him of racism.