GOP Senate Candidate Trent Staggs BLASTS Mitt Romney For Supporting Debt Ceiling Deal - Romney 'Teams Up With Chuck Schumer'

On Thursday evening, Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) joined alongside 62 other lawmakers (18 Republicans and 45 Democrats) to pass the McCarthy-Biden debt deal through Congress and to the president's desk. Romney, in particular, has come under fire for his vote and his bashing of the conservative lawmakers who stood up to the plan, calling their efforts "noise."

In response to this, Mayor Trent Staggs, Romney's GOP primary opponent in 2024, bashed the career politician for his vote. As previously reported by the DC Enquirer, Staggs announced his candidacy last month.

"Mitt Romney ran on reducing spending and balancing the budget. Now, Mitt is praising adding $4 trillion to the national debt while getting virtually nothing in return," Staggs told the DC Enquirer in a statement. "As he teams up with Chuck Schumer to waste future generations' money, we have a border that sits open. It's time for change."

Mayor Staggs wasn't the only lawmaker to call out Romney for his attack, however. Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) took to Twitter to lambast the senator for his characterization.

"We will not be deterred. In the slightest bit," Roy wrote. "Romney calls it 'noise.' I call it the sound of freedom."

We will not be deterred. In the slightest bit. Romney calls it “noise.” I call it the sound of freedom. https://t.co/mCPMc0rCXw

— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) June 2, 2023

Sen. Romney has proven himself to be one of the least reliable Republicans in Congress. According to Heritage Action, the 76-year-old has a lifetime score of 58 percent and a current session score of 51 percent. For context, the average Senate Republican has a score of 78 percent.

Because of his abysmal voting record as well as his support of impeaching 45th President Donald Trump, conservatives have long called on a primary challenge for the one-term senator.

Mayor Staggs answered that call with his announcement video released last month.

"A few years ago Mitt Romney moved to Utah and told us what he'd fight for," Staggs said in his launch ad, adding clips from a Romney campaign commercial where the former GOP nominee promised to end illegal immigration, a balanced budget, pushback on federal overreach, and to confirm constitutionalist judges.
 

But the only thing I've seen him fight for are the establishment, wokeness, open borders, impeaching President Trump, and putting us even deeper into debt," the mayor explained.

Staggs then went on to explain that he "doesn't come from millions" and that he brings a penny-pinching mentality to governance.

The Republican Senate candidate then emphasized his record as mayor, emphasizing that he has reduced spending, kept businesses, schools, and churches open during the coronavirus pandemic, and fought big government.

"I'm not a career politician or a Massachusetts millionaire. I'm a mayor, a businessman, husband, and father who wants his children to grow up with the same opportunities that I did," Mayor Staggs concluded, adding, "I'm running for United States Senate to make sure that they do."

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