Sanders: I wish other Republicans shared Romney’s ‘sense of decency’
MANCHESTER, N.H. — Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) praised Republican Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) for his vote to convict President Trump on the charge of abuse of power, telling voters on Thursday more Republicans should follow Romney’s example.
The Senate voted to acquit Trump on Wednesday of both charges — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress — putting an end the impeachment proceedings that started late last year.
“I think that Mitt Romney showed a great deal of courage and I wish there were other Republicans that shared the same sense of decency,” Sanders, who voted to convict Trump on both counts, said at a CNN town hall.
The Vermont senator’s comments come one day after Romney shocked Washington and broke with his party to vote to convict Trump on the one impeachment article, saying “the president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust” and “a flagrant assault on our electoral rights.”
Romney voted against the second article of impeachment accusing the president of obstruction of Congress, which failed strictly along party lines.
The former 2012 Republican presidential nominee also received praise from a number of his Democratic counterparts, including Democratic presidential contender Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), who said it “restores my faith in democracy.”
However, Republicans expressed disappointment in Romney’s decision, and Trump publicly criticized Romney for the vote.
“I don’t like people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong,” Trump said at the National Prayer Breakfast, referring to Romney’s justification for his vote to convict.
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
