Mitt Romney says he is not ready to commit to endorsing President Trump for reelection in 2020.
“I will make that decision down the road,” Romney told CNN at the Utah GOP convention on Saturday. “As a person of political experience, if I endorse someone, I’ll want to know what’s in it for Utah and what help would he provide for us on key priorities in Utah.”
“So I’m not a cheap date,” he added.
The 2012 Republican presidential nominee is at the Utah convention to secure the party’s nomination for Senate. Romney is running for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch (R).
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Romney and Trump have a contentious history.
The former Massachusetts governor gave a speech in the waning days of the GOP primary in 2016 urging Republicans not to support Trump, arguing that he lacked the character needed for the presidency.
Still, the two seemed to mend fences after the election when Trump dined with Romney and was reportedly considering him to lead the State Department, a position which was eventually filled by Rex Tillerson.
The relationship soured again though after he was passed up for the job. Romney criticized Trump for his response to the violence in Charlottesville, Va., last year and other actions. Trump also encouraged Hatch repeatedly to run for reelection.
Romney announced his campaign for Senate earlier this year, with Hatch’s endorsement.
“I have decided to run for United States Senate because I believe I can help bring Utah’s values and Utah’s lessons to Washington. Utah is a better model for Washington than Washington is for Utah,” he said in a February campaign ad.
“Given all that America faces, we feel that this is the right time to serve our state and our country.”
Trump endorsed Romney in February in a tweet, saying that he would make a “great senator.”