Romney: Biden Should Have Pardoned Trump

Mitt Romney says he personally urged the Biden administration to pardon President Trump before any indictments, warning that prosecuting political rivals "is a very dangerous path." "We just can't begin to be prosecuting political opponents," the former GOP senator told Dana Bash during a Drew University event Monday, warning such a move risks fueling "anger and hate," per CNN. Drawing a line, Romney criticized the Trump administration's indictment of former FBI chief James Comey, saying he believes it is motivated by Trump's humiliation and desire for retribution. "He said he was gonna have revenge and retribution, and he is," said Romney.

Romney was also skeptical of Trump's push to strengthen executive power, saying some moves might be constitutional, but "probably in some cases, no." He voiced particular concern about the prospect of Trump removing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook. "I think that's a huge mistake," he said. Romney also criticized Trump for rolling out a red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin at the summit in Alaska, saying it's important to "stand up for our friends in Ukraine," and said Trump's tariff-heavy approach to trade had left him "shocked at the prices in the grocery store. ... It's unbelievable to me the price of these things." While he concedes China tariffs make sense if coordinated with allies, he balked at targeting traditional partners like Canada.