Media

CNN’s Baldwin praises Romney: ‘Extraordinary’ moment of ‘pure honesty and emotion’

by Joe Concha - 02/05/20 3:02 PM ET

CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin praised Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) on Wednesday for announcing he will vote to convict President Trump in the impeachment trial, making the Utah Republican the only GOP senator to break ranks with his party.

“Wow, that was extraordinary. That was a moment we haven’t seen very often from a member of the U.S. government,” Baldwin said on “CNN Newsroom.”

“That was pure honesty and emotion from Mitt Romney,” she added.

“The president’s purpose was personal and political. Accordingly, the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust,” Romney said.

“Voters will make the final decision, just as the president’s lawyers have implored. My vote will likely be in the minority in the Senate,” Romney said on the Senate floor Wednesday afternoon, just hours before senators were slated to vote on the two articles of impeachment against Trump.

CNN analyst John Avlon called Romney’s remarks on the Senate floor “a true profile-in-courage speech.”

Romney’s vote could prove problematic if he decides to seek a second Senate term in 2024.

A Deseret News-Hinckley Institute of Politics poll published Monday showed 53 percent of Utah voters surveyed gave Trump a positive job approval rating, while 52 percent viewed Romney favorably.

Tags Brooke Baldwin Donald Trump Donald Trump Impeachment Impeachment Mitt Romney Utah