In 2012, then-Presidential candidate Mitt Romney gave a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). It doesn’t look like he’ll be doing that again anytime soon.
On Thursday, Matt Schlapp tweeted that Romney is “formally NOT invited” to this year’s event. Schlapp is chairman of the American Conservative Union, the organization that hosts CPAC.
Republican dissent
Schlapp’s tweet came after Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) broke with the bulk of his party and voted in favor of having more witnesses appear in President Trump’s Senate impeachment trial.
Schlapp later told Fox News that it’s a CPAC tradition to “formally disinvite someone who has been particularly egregious” in a given year.
“Mitt Romney deserved this [because] his Senate tenure is a waste and his vote was the latest outrage,” Schlapp explained.
The Utah Republican wasn’t alone in joining the Democratic minority, as Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) chose to join him as well, but Collins has not been as openly anti-Trump as Romney has proven himself to be. No other GOP senators joined the pair.
Most Republicans stand united
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said in a Thursday night statement that he had no interest in hearing from anyone else after reportedly being on the fence about calling new witnesses.
“There is no need for more evidence to conclude that the president withheld United States aid, at least in part, to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens; the House managers have proved this with what they call a ‘mountain of overwhelming evidence,’” Alexander declared.
Kansas’ Pat Roberts (R-KS) had no patience for more witnesses either. The Washington Examiner quoted him as saying, “I don’t think there is anything more that needs to be said.”
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) also made her decision just hours before the official vote took place, after hemming and hawing for several weeks. Murkowski issued a statement on Friday, saying “I carefully considered the need for additional witnesses and documents … but ultimately decided that I will vote against considering motions to subpoena.”
One person who wasn’t pleased with the vote’s outcome was Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). To him, the outcome was “a grand tragedy.”
“America will remember this day—a day when the United Senate did not live up to its responsibilities, turned away from truth and instead went along with a sham trial,” the New York Democrat complained to reporters.
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