Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) is telling MSNBC he laughs at a popular slogan used by former President Donald Trump and his supporters: “American First.”
Speaking to MSNBC, Romney said it is “unimaginable” the Republican Party would experience a “growing isolationism,” which he blamed on “talk TV” and talk radio. He specifically single out X commentator Tucker Carlson.
He said Carlson “says outrageous things and the base says, ‘Yeah, exactly.”
The senator went on:
“Many in our party have followed that populist streak, which is, ‘Hey, stop worrying about the rest of the world, just worry about what’s going on here.’ What they’re forgetting is that we are connected to the rest of the world, that our economy is connected to the rest of the world. That if we had had that attitude then, you know, Germany would’ve ended up ruling the world.”
Romney added, “We’re involved in the world out of our own self-interest, and I laugh at the phrase ‘America First.’ I know it typically means isolationism, but really, America is putting ourselves first when we’re involved in the world, when we stop bad people. Look, if Vladimir Putin goes, not just through Ukraine, but then decides to go into Poland, then we’re involved in a conflict with our sons and daughters going to war. Or we could walk away from NATO, in which case Putin is going to keep on going and going.”
Watch the video below:
Finally, Romney said, “How about a world where China and Russia control the world, and we have our own little island? That’s not a world where Americans are going to be safe or prosperous. We’re safe and prosperous when the world follows the orders that have existed over the last 75 years, with a strong NATO, strong allies, strong friends, and when America stands for something like freedom.”
During the interview, Romney did not exclusively rip Trump and his supporters.
He also criticized President Joe Biden for not “immediately” pardoning the 45th president and trying to stop the prosecution against him.
