Most Talked-About Controversies Linked to Mitt Romney
Controversies are a part of history. Explore the biggest scandals linked to Mitt Romney.
Mitt Romney is an American businessman and former politician. He served as a U.S. Senator for Utah (2019-2025) and as the 70th Governor of Massachusetts (2003-2007). A member of the Republican Party, he was the party's nominee for President of the United States in 2012, losing to incumbent Barack Obama. Prior to his political career, Romney had a successful business career, including co-founding Bain Capital, a private equity investment firm.
1913: 1913 Law
In 1913, a law barred out-of-state residents from getting married in Massachusetts if their union would be illegal in their home state, cited by Romney in 2004 regarding same-sex marriage.
1981: Arrested for Disorderly Conduct
In 1981, Mitt Romney was arrested for disorderly conduct after a disagreement with a state park ranger regarding his motorboat's license.
1983: Dog Incident
In 1983, Mitt Romney placed the family's dog in a carrier on the roof of their car during a road trip, which later became a subject of controversy.
1994: Positions Expressed
In 1994, Mitt Romney expressed abortion rights positions during his campaign.
1994: Stance on Abortion
In 1994, during his Senate campaign, Romney expressed his belief that "abortion should be safe and legal in this country."
1994: Romney Called Same-Sex Marriage a "State Issue"
While running for Senate in 1994, Romney described same-sex marriage as a "state issue".
2002: Positions Expressed
In 2002, Mitt Romney expressed abortion rights positions during his campaign.
2002: Romney Opposed Constitutional Ban on Same-Sex Marriage
In 2002, Romney opposed a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
2002: Reiterated Abortion Stance
In 2002, during his campaign for governor, Romney reiterated his stance that "abortion should be safe and legal in this country."
November 2003: Massachusetts Supreme Court Decision
In November 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the state had to recognize same-sex marriages.
February 2004: Backed State Constitutional Amendment
In February 2004, Mitt Romney backed a state constitutional amendment that would have banned same-sex marriages but still allowed civil unions.
May 2004: Marriage Licenses
In May 2004, Mitt Romney instructed town clerks to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples per the court decision.
June 2005: Abandoned Support
In June 2005, Mitt Romney abandoned his support for the compromise amendment, stating that it confused voters.
December 2005: Pulled Massachusetts Out
In December 2005, Mitt Romney pulled Massachusetts out of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative shortly before its signing, citing a lack of cost limits for industry.
2005: Shift in Abortion Stance
In 2005, Mitt Romney publicly described himself as "pro-life", stating that abortion should only be an option in cases of incest, rape, or to save the mother's life.
2005: Change of View
In 2005, Mitt Romney revealed a change of view regarding abortion, moving from abortion rights positions expressed to an anti-abortion one.
2006: Urged Senate Vote
In 2006, Mitt Romney urged the U.S. Senate to vote for the Federal Marriage Amendment.
2007: Romney Discusses Layoffs at Bain Capital
In 2007, Romney addressed the layoffs that sometimes occurred due to Bain Capital's leveraged buyouts, stating that while the "medicine is a little bitter," it's necessary to save the enterprise and that his job was to try and make the enterprise successful.
2008: Campaign Marked by Flip-Flopping Charges
Romney's 2008 campaign was marked by accusations of flip-flopping.
March 2010: Attacked the Affordable Care Act
Immediately after the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in March 2010, Mitt Romney criticized it as an "unconscionable abuse of power" and called for its repeal.
July 2011: Secret Twitter Account Registered
In July 2011, the Twitter account 'Pierre Delecto' was registered, later confirmed in 2019 to belong to Mitt Romney.
November 2011: Addressed Flip-Flopping Charges
In November 2011, after charges of flip-flopping that marked his 2008 campaign began to accumulate again, Mitt Romney stated, "I've been as consistent as human beings can be."
2011: Romney Signed Pledge Against Same-Sex Marriage
In 2011, Romney signed a pledge promising to seek passage of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.
2012: Car Elevator Derision
In 2012, plans to replace their La Jolla home with a bigger one including a car elevator was met with some derision.
March 3, 2016: Romney's Scathing Attack on Donald Trump
On March 3, 2016, Mitt Romney delivered a speech at the Hinckley Institute of Politics, launching a strong attack on Donald Trump's character, business record, and policy stances, calling him a "con man" and a "phony".
2016: Did Not Vote For Trump
In 2016, Mitt Romney did not vote for Donald Trump in the presidential election.
October 2019: Romney Revealed Secret Twitter Account
In October 2019, Mitt Romney revealed he used a secret Twitter account, later identified as "Pierre Delecto", to follow political conversations.
November 9, 2019: Romney Declined to Co-Sponsor Resolution Opposing Impeachment Inquiry
On November 9, 2019, Mitt Romney was one of the few Republican senators who declined to co-sponsor a resolution opposing the impeachment inquiry process into President Trump.
February 5, 2020: Romney Voted to Convict Trump
On February 5, 2020, Mitt Romney broke with the Republican party and voted to convict President Trump in his first impeachment trial, becoming the first U.S. Senator to vote to convict a president of the same party.
July 2020: Condemnation of Trump's Commutation of Roger Stone's Sentence
In July 2020, Romney criticized President Trump's decision to commute Roger Stone's sentence, labeling it as "Unprecedented, historic corruption."
September 2020: Comments on Supreme Court Nomination
In September 2020, Romney stated that the Republicans' decision to nominate and confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court before the 2020 presidential election was fair, referencing the Garland decision as consistent with historical precedent.
2020: Romney Did Not Endorse Trump's Re-election
In 2020, Mitt Romney did not endorse Donald Trump's reelection campaign and stated that he did not vote for him. He also congratulated Joe Biden and Kamala Harris on their victory, being the first Republican senator to do so.
2020: Did Not Vote For Trump
In 2020, Mitt Romney did not vote for Donald Trump in the presidential election.
January 5, 2021: Romney Heckled at Airport
On January 5, 2021, Mitt Romney was heckled and harassed at the airport en route to Washington, D.C., by Trump supporters who accused him of not supporting Trump's claims of election fraud.
January 13, 2021: House Voted to Impeach Trump a Second Time
On January 13, 2021, the House voted to impeach Trump a second time for incitement of insurrection.
February 10, 2021: Video Showed Romney Saved by Officer Goodman
On February 10, 2021, during Trump's second impeachment trial, a video was released showing Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman diverting Mitt Romney away from the Capitol rioters on January 6.
February 13, 2021: Romney Voted to Convict Trump in Second Impeachment Trial
On February 13, 2021, Mitt Romney voted to convict Donald Trump for the second time along with six of his Republican colleagues.
May 27, 2021: Romney Voted for Bipartisan Commission
On May 27, 2021, Mitt Romney voted with a group of Republicans and all present Democrats to establish a bipartisan commission to investigate the January 6 attack on the Capitol. The vote failed.
2021: Voted to Convict Trump in Second Impeachment Trial
In 2021, Mitt Romney voted to convict Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial.
2021: Romney Condemned Capitol Attack
In 2021, during the attack on the U.S. Capitol, Mitt Romney rebuked President Trump and condemned the actions of the attackers, stating, "This is what you've gotten, guys!"
2023: Romney Confronted George Santos
In 2023, Mitt Romney confronted Representative George Santos, stating that he "shouldn't be in Congress" due to ethics concerns.
