TORONTO -- Former media mogul Conrad Black called Mitt Romney鈥檚 decision to vote for convicting U.S. President Donald Trump a 鈥渄isgraceful, dishonourable thing鈥� motivated by Romney鈥檚 dislike for the president.
Romney, a U.S. senator from Utah who was the Republican presidential candidate in 2012, voted to convict Trump on abuse of power in Wednesday鈥檚 impeachment vote. During a speech on the Senate floor, Romney said that despite his support for most of what Trump has done since he took office, he couldn鈥檛 in good conscience vote against the first impeachment article.
鈥淲ere I to ignore the evidence that has been presented, and disregard what I believe my oath and the Constitution demands of me for the sake of a partisan end, it would, I fear, expose my character to history's rebuke and the censure of my own conscience,鈥� he said.
In the end, Romney was the only Republican to vote in favour of convicting Trump 鈥� though only on the one charge 鈥� and the president was acquitted of both charges.
Black, who Trump pardoned last year for his convictions of fraud and obstruction of justice, called Romney鈥檚 vote an 鈥渙ut-of-body freak out.鈥�
鈥淔or Romney to do that, he finished his public life in a way that鈥檚 almost as disgraceful as what happened to Elliot Spitzer,鈥� Black told CTV鈥檚 Power Play. 鈥淚 assume his marriage will survive it though.鈥�
Spitzer resigned as governor of New York in 2008 after it was revealed he had been involved in a prostitution ring.
As for the impeachment case, Black said Trump has the right to ask for information on anyone involved in 鈥渋nfluence peddling,鈥� including former vice-president and current Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.
鈥淗e asked for the facts,鈥� he said. 鈥淗e didn鈥檛 ask for the crucifixion of Biden. He didn鈥檛 ask for anything damaging on Biden, he asked for the facts. Nothing wrong with that.鈥�
With the impeachment trial now behind him, Black believes Trump can expect a landslide victory in the 2020 U.S. election.
鈥淭he Democrats have a bunch of clucks that are contesting Trump as the most successful first term of any president except for Lincoln, (Franklin D. Roosevelt) and Nixon,鈥� Black said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going to run the tables in the balance of this year. He鈥檚 going to kill the Democrats and they deserve it.鈥�
