Retiring Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, said he laughs at the phrase "America First," criticizing it for its promotion of an isolationist policy that he finds "disorienting."
Romney took aim at the "growing isolationism" within the Republican Party and the phrase seeded and popularized by Republican presumptive nominee Donald Trump.
"It's unimaginable that in the party of Ronald Reagan and George Herbert Walker Bush and George W. Bush and John McCain and others, that we would see a growing isolationism within our party," Romney said in an interview (beginning at the 8:50 mark) with MSNBC on Wednesday.
"What they're forgetting is that we are connected to the rest of the world, that our economy is connected to the rest of the world — that if we had had that attitude then, you know, Germany would've ended up ruling the world," Romney said.
"We're involved in the world out of our own self-interest, and I laugh at the phrase 'America First.' I know it typically means isolationism, but really, America is putting ourselves first when we're involved in the world, when we stop bad people.
"Look, if [Russian President] Vladimir Putin goes not just through Ukraine, but then decides to go into Poland, then we're involved in a conflict with our sons and daughters going to war. Or we could walk away from NATO, in which case Putin is going to keep on going and going."
Trump has repeatedly hounded Romney as a faux Republican, most recently calling Romney a "total loser" while endorsing Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs to fill the seat left by Romney, who is not running for reelection in November.
For his part, Romney has said he won't vote for Trump or President Joe Biden in November.
"How about a world where China and Russia control the world and we have our own little island? That's not a world where Americans are going to be safe or prosperous. We're safe and prosperous when the world follows the orders that have existed over the last 75 years," Romney told MSNBC.
Mark Swanson ✉
Mark Swanson, a Newsmax writer and editor, has nearly three decades of experience covering news, culture and politics.
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