Romney: Biden, Trump should both ‘stand aside’ in 2024

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) said on Wednesday that he wishes President Biden and former President Trump would stand aside and allow both political parties to choose new leadership for the 2024 presidential contest.

Romney, 76, made the comment while talking to reporters in his office following his retirement announcement earlier in the day.

“I think it would be a great thing if President Biden and former President Trump were to stand aside and let their respective parties pick someone in the next generation. President Biden, when he was running, said he was a transitional figure to the next generation. Well, time to transition.”

“I think both parties would be far better served if they were going to be represented by people other than those of us from the baby boom generation,” Romney continued.

The Utah Republican also pointed to a Washington Post column by David Ignatius that was released earlier on Wednesday calling for the president to decide against a reelection bid.

Romney’s comments come hours after he said that he will retire at the end of 2024 and not seek a second term next year. He argued that he did not want to serve into his early- and mid-80s, especially when the outlook for getting legislative items done would not be as rosy as it has in recent years. 

The decision not to seek a second term likely means that Romney’s three-decade long political career will come to an end. In addition to his Senate years, he was the 2012 GOP presidential nominee when he lost the general election to former President Obama and served as governor of Massachusetts for a single term.