MITT Romney hit back at Republicans who booed him during the party's Utah convention telling them "aren't you embarrassed".
Delegates packed into the Maverik Center and shouted "traitor" and "communist" at the former presidential candidate when he attempted to deliver a speech.
Romney came under fire on Saturday night over his vote to convict Donald Trump in both his impeachment trials.
"So what do you think of President Biden’s first 100 days,” he asked the audience, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
But he was greeted with deafening catcalls punctuated by some shouting “traitor” and "communist".
“Now you know me as a person who says what he thinks, and you know I don’t hide the fact that I wasn’t a fan of our last president’s character issues,” said Romney
As others on the stage squirmed, Romney gazed at the taunters and asked, “Aren’t you embarrassed?”
"You can boo all you like," Romney continued.
"I've been a Republican all of my life. My dad was the governor of Michigan and I was the Republican nominee for president in 2012.
"So yeah, I understand that I have a few folks that don't like me terribly much and I'm sorry about that.
"But I express my mind as I believe is right and I follow my conscience as I believe is right," Romney said according to KTVZ, as he began to win over a few fans in the crowd who stood up and cheered.
Romney, 74, was the only Republican senator who voted to convict Trump in both impeachment trials, the first to have ever voted to convict a President of his own party.
Prior to taking office, Trump had been considered selecting Romney as his secretary of state. The post went to Rex Tillerson.
Only a month ago, Romney was being showered with praise in D.C. when he accepted this year’s John F Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.
The Profile in Courage Award is awarded to one public figure a year, who risks their career by taking unpopular positions for the greater good.
He wrote on Twitter: “I'm humbled by the Kennedy family's recognition today.
“But I see courage every week from my colleagues in the Senate, many of whom make tough decisions to do what they believe is right even though it may be politically unpopular.”
Romney had been cast out as a pariah in the Republican party and accused of being a "deep state" agent in a proposed censure motion by fellow Republicans back in February after voting to impeach Donald Trump.
The motion claimed that Romney failed to "represent the average conservative Utah Republican voter.”
The harsh reception in his very own state wasn’t the first time he had been heckled.
During Washington, DC-bound commercial flight, an earful by passengers chanting “traitor” at the Republican senator after backing the then President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election in November.
A video of the MAGA fans showed them repeating “traitor" 20 times at Romney, who was not visible but apparently seated on the plane setting off from Atlanta.
Romney wasn't pulling punches after lawmakers took back control of the US Capitol building on January 6 when a Trump rally exploded into a riotous siege.
"What happened here today was an insurrection, incited by the President of the United States," read his remarks condemning the actions of Trump and his supporters from that day.
"Those who choose to continue to support his dangerous gambit by objecting to the results of a legitimate, democratic election will forever be seen as being complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy.
"They will be remembered for their role in this shameful episode in American history. That will be their legacy."
Source: Read Full Article