Conservative activist Charlie Kirk urges CPAC crowd to boo Romney

Charlie Kirk, founder of conservative organization Turning Point USA, encouraged the crowd at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Wednesday to boo for Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), who has become a target on the right over his vote in favor of removing President Trump from office. 

When Kirk paused after mentioning the past “Republican Party of Mitt Romney” during his speech at the Maryland event, members of the audience broke out booing. 

“Correct answer, by the way, correct,” Kirk said. “Every time his name is mentioned, you should respond that way.”

Charlie Kirk praises the CPAC audience for booing when he mentioned Mitt Romney: “Every time his name is mentioned, you should respond that way.” https://t.co/1c0mrHKJYa pic.twitter.com/rpzJVjCXWZ

— Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) February 27, 2020

Kirk told the crowd that Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee “lied to every single person in this room,” by voting for the “sham, unconstitutional impeachment.” 

Romney was the sole Republican senator to join Democrats in voting to convict Trump on a charge of abuse of power earlier this month. 

Leaders of CPAC formally disinvited Romney after his vote. 

Romney said Trump is “guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust,” in a floor speech before his vote. 

“I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice. I am profoundly religious. My faith is at the heart of who I am. I take an oath before God as enormously consequential,” Romney said at the time.

Trump has repeatedly lashed out at Romney over his decision to vote with the Democrats, slamming him as a “failed presidential candidate” and telling Utah Gov. Gary Herbert (R) at a White House event, “You keep him. We don’t want him.”