Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) on Sunday took aim at conservatives who have heaped praise upon Russian President Vladimir Putin as Russia launched a full-scale and deadly invasion of Ukraine—and he seemed to include former President Donald Trump in his harsh criticism. In the wake of ultra-MAGA Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) attending a white nationalist event that celebrated Putin’s actions, CNN anchor Dana Bash asked Romney for his thoughts on the “pro-Putin sentiments” within his party.
Stating that “a lot of those people are changing their stripes” due to shifting political and international responses, the longtime Russia critic said it was “unthinkable” and “almost treasonous” that “anybody in this country” could side with the murderous Russian dictator. Considering that Trump has recently lauded Putin as “very savvy” for his “genius” invasion of Ukraine, Bash said “treasonous is a big word” while wondering if Romney was referencing the twice-impeached ex-president. “Well, I said it’s nearly treasonous,” the former GOP presidential nominee replied. “Standing up for freedom is the right thing to do in America. Anything less than that, in my opinion, is unworthy of American support.”
