Romney talks his relationship with Trump, guns and school safety


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SALT LAKE CITY — In his first one-on-one interview since joining the Senate race, Mitt Romney talks to KSL TV’s Dave McCann and opens up about his relationship with President Donald Trump, guns and school safety, and what the 2002 Winter Olympic Games did for him, as he returns to politics six years after losing his run for the White House.

McCann: When you shake someone's hand in the diner and they say, "Are you crazy? You want to go do this again?" You tell them?

Romney: Yes. I am crazy! It’s something in my blood.

Six years after running for president, Mitt Romney is back in the game with a lot of the same concerns, including one country that is giving the current president fits.

Romney: We have to crack down on their interference in our election and other elections. This is unacceptable to us and if they do that, there should be consequences. We should not forget the fact that these guys are bad guys. Vladimir Putin is not leading a campaign of goodness and light.

McCann: Do you worry that he might meddle in your election?

Romney: I'm told that Russian bots are already putting out material on social media sites attacking me.

Another long-standing issue is guns and school safety. This week, President Donald Trump is proposing federal bans on bump-stocks. Romney believes change can come quicker closer to home.

Romney: Young people are thinking about this, talking about this. It’s on TV. We're gonna have to deal with it, take action.

McCann: A lot of interest groups like the NRA are in a lot of pockets. Are they in yours?

Romney: I'm not taking money from any of the PACs. I plan on receiving contributions by individual citizens. If I get attacked by outside PACs ... I'll have to find a way to return fire. Hope I don't have to have any campaign PAC supporting my effort.

McCann: There are those in Utah that hope and expect, if you win, that you will go back to Washington and duke it out with President Trump. Will they be disappointed?

Romney: President Trump and I agree on a whole host of issues. There have been occasions where he's said something or done something that I found troublesome and I pointed that out.

One of those occasions was two years ago in Salt Lake City when Romney declared candidate Trump “a phony.”

McCann: He endorsed you the other day through a tweet. Was that a good thing?

Romney: I think he respects people who speak their mind.

Related:

McCann: How hard is it to put a sincere campaign together in a state where you hardly have to campaign at all? Last poll I saw, you were 51 points ahead.

Romney: That's the high water mark. ... It will get closer and you have to work it hard. No one wants to see someone just waltz in. They want to see that they are willing to work and listen.

McCann: Do you remember where you were the moment you got the phone call that the Salt Lake Games were in trouble?

Romney: I do remember where I was. I was at my desk at my office and the call came from my wife. She said "Kem Gardner called me and wants you to consider coming back to run the Olympics." I said, “That's ridiculous! Why would I want to do that? And why did he call you?” She said, "He called me because he knew that if he asked you, you would tell him no."

Later in 2002, after the Utah Games, Romney was voted as governor of Massachusetts. Years later, he became the Republican nominee for president and now, a candidate in Utah for the U.S. Senate.

McCann: Had you said no to coming out here in Salt Lake none of that would have happened.

Romney: None of that would have happened. None of it would have happened. You are absolutely right. My life has taken such a different course than I ever imagine, and you’re right: the critical moment was the decision to come to Salt Lake City and help host the games, and that changed my life. Changed my life for the better.

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