FACT CHECK: Viral Post Falsely Claims Mitt Romney Has Threatened To Leave The Republican Party
A post shared on Twitter claims Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney has purportedly threatened to leave the Republican Party and join the Democrats.
Senator #MittRomney Threatens to Leave Republican Party and Join Democrats pic.twitter.com/laex9XuoWm
— Giordano Bruno (@GioBruno1600) July 19, 2023
Verdict: False
Romney’s 2023 Federal Election Commission (FEC) Statement of Candidacy form, filed on Apr. 11, lists his party as Republican. The Utah Republican Senator’s spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
Fact Check:
Although he hasn’t publicly announced if he’s running for another Senate term in 2024, Romney reported more than $1 million in campaign contributions from April to June, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Back in December 2022, Romney said he was convinced he’d win reelection if he ran, The Hill reported.
“Senator #MittRomney Threatens to Leave Republican Party and Join Democrats,” the Twitter post, which includes a photo of the Republican Utah Senator and has been viewed over one million times, purports. The post does not provide a source to support the claim.
The claim is false. Romney’s 2023 FEC Statement of Candidacy form, filed on April 11, lists his party as Republican. Likewise, the Utah Republican Senator has neither announced his intention to switch political parties via statements published on his website nor his verified social media accounts.
In addition, Check Your Fact found no credible news reports supporting the claim. If Romney decided to switch political parties, it would be a major news event, and multiple media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. (RELATED: No, Video Does Not Show Ron DeSantis Saying ‘Mmm Hungwy’)
Paige Waltz, Romney’s spokesperson, denied the claim’s validity in an email to Check Your Fact.
“There is zero truth to misinformation spread by online bots,” Waltz said.
This is not the first time a false claim has circulated on social media. Check Your Fact previously debunked a video shared on Twitter purporting to show former Vice President Mike Pence being hit with a water balloon.
