Mitt Romney Calls Out Mick Mulvaney’s Quid Pro Quo Admission: ‘Of Real Concern… A Real Problem’

Utah Senator Mitt Romney called out White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney’s comments at a press conference last week that openly acknowledged a quid pro quo involving Ukrainian military aid as “of real concern” and “a real problem.”

Romney made his comments to reporters on Capitol Hill on Monday evening, after being asked about President Donald Trump’s chief aide’s remarks, which Mulvaney and other White House officials desperately tried to walk back this past weekend, with little success.

“Obviously what he said in the press conference was of real concern,” Romney told a Congressional press gaggle. “Because he said, in effect, that they were holding up funding going to Ukraine in part based upon a desire to have Ukraine carry out an investigation with regards to the 2016 election. And holding up funds to a foreign nation particularly one that is under military threat in order to fulfill a political purpose is a real problem.”

The senator’s very public criticism was also notable because it came just a day after the bizarre revelation that Romney has maintained a sock puppet Twitter account — under the pen name “Pierre Delecto” — to both aggressively criticize the administration and defend himself.

CNN Congressional correspondent Phil Mattingly went on to note that other Republican senators have offered — albeit milder — criticism of Mulvaney as well, but none have tipped their hand on their impeachment stance.

“Senator Roy Blunt saying he believed if you ask Mick Mulvaney, he would acknowledge it wasn’t his best performance over the last couple of interviews. Senator John Thune, the number two-ranked Republican said it is, quote, ‘a rough patch for Mick Mulvaney.'” Mattingly explained.  “You’re seeing frustration about how the White House has addressed the allegations. How the White House has addressed what House Democrats are investigating up to this point. What you’re not seeing is a major break of Senate Republicans. And certainly no break from House Republicans as well. I asked Senator Romney did he believe his comments were channeling what his colleagues didn’t have the ability to say publicly and thinking behind the scenes and he acknowledged he didn’t think so. At least not at this point.”

Watch the video above, via CNN.

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