Analysis of Mitt Romney's disillusionment with the Senate, his role in the Republican Party, and his relationship with Donald Trump. Also discusses Twitter's evolution and introduces the podcast 'Land of the Giants: The Twitter Fantasy'.
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Quick takeaways
American democracy is fragile and has been historically prone to becoming autocratic.
Mitt Romney's isolation within the Senate and Republican Party highlights the rise of authoritarianism and extremism within the party.
Deep dives
Mitt Romney's warning about American democracy
According to a new book by McKay Koppins, Mitt Romney has seen hypocrisy and cynicism inside the Senate and has issued a warning about how the government works. He believes that American democracy is fragile, as most powerful civilizations throughout history have been autocracies.
Mitt Romney's disillusionment with the Senate
After losing the 2012 presidential election, Mitt Romney entered quasi-retirement but became restless. He believed he could steer the Republican Party away from Trumpism by getting into positions of power. However, he was disappointed to find that many of his Senate colleagues were more interested in showmanship than in legislating and working on solutions to major problems.
Mitt Romney's defiance and isolation
Despite the lack of support from his colleagues, Mitt Romney took his role as a senator seriously. He voted to convict Donald Trump in both impeachment trials, even though he knew it would make him a pariah in his party. Romney realized that the rise of Trump exposed elements of authoritarianism and extremism within the Republican Party, leading to his isolation in the Senate and the party itself.
On his way out of the United States Senate, Mitt Romney gave one reporter unprecedented access to his emails, texts, and journals. McKay Coppins, author of Romney: A Reckoning, explains why.
This episode was produced by Jon Ehrens, edited by Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by Hady Mawajdeh and Laura Bullard, engineered by Rob Byers and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.