Mitt Romney Calls Trump a "Crazy Person" in Exclusive Interview | Vanity Fair

Written By Brian Stelter

Brian Stelter, Inside the Hive's host, delves into the journey of Mitt Romney from being the standard Republican hero to an outcast within the party. Stelter does this exploration in conversation with McKay Coppins, author of Romney: A Reckoning and a staff writer at The Atlantic. Coppins sheds light on Romney's decision to lift the weights off his chest post the January 6th attack, Romney's part in the GOP's trajectory towards Trumpism, and his candid opinions on the former president. They also discuss the precarious state of American democracy.

Coppins reveals one of the shocking insights he got from his chats with Romney, i.e., the significant impact of the threat of political violenceon the mindset of Republicans today. He cites anecdotes shared by Romney about fellow Republicans who wanted to vote for Trump's impeachment but refrained out of fear for their and their families' safety from Trump's supporters. This paints a worryingly dystopian picture of American politics where elected representatives are making decisions driven by the fear of violence.

According to Coppins, Romney has been wondering about his and others' roles in aiding Trump's ascent to power. He muses over instances where he appeased the extreme elements of his party during his presidential bids. Romney now regrets his assumption that he could use the right wing's vigor without falling prey to it. The key lessons were those small compromises that didn't seem significant then, like accepting Trump's endorsement in 2012, which have now manifested into a Pandora's box of its own.

True to his nature, Trump fired off a vitriolic statement against Romney after getting wind of the details from Coppins's book. He ridiculed Romney, calling him a loser only a mother could love and gloating that he had ousted this Left-Leaning RINO. Coppins conveyed Trump's response to Romney, who retorted, calling Trump "a whack job," clearly amused by his reaction.

The dialogue also pivoted towards Romney's decision to talk openly to a journalist at 76 years of age, along with sharing his personal journals for the book. Coppins reflects on Romney's state of mind during their first meet at his Senate hideaway right after the January 6th riots. He attributes Romney's cooperation with the book project to his extreme frustration and disappointment with his party leaders as well as concerns about the country.