As Sen. Mitt Romney flew to Washington from Utah on Tuesday, he was heckled with chants of “traitor” and was called an “absolute joke, a disgusting shame” by right-wingers on the same plane who are upset he won’t support President Donald Trump in a challenge to electoral votes.
Then on Wednesday at a White House rally, Trump joined in the heckling, saying about Romney, “I wonder if he enjoyed his flight in last night.”
The videos went viral and generated national news stories.
One shows several people chanting, “traitor, traitor, traitor” for 20 seconds on the plane.
One yelled, “Resign, Mitt.”
Another said, “Mitt Romney, you don’t listen to your constituents.”
One passenger spoke up in the senator’s defense. “I’m one of your constituents, and I think you’re doing wonderful.”
A heckler retorted, “You may be like one in a million.”
Harassment began before the flight. Another video shows Romney being approached by a woman without a mask wanting to ask why he isn’t supporting Trump.
When he asked her to put on her mask, She said, “Don’t tell me what to do.” But she said she put on her mask because she wanted to ask Romney questions.
She asks if he supports Trump, and he said, “I do agree with many of the things he does,” but said he doesn’t support the challenge to electoral votes aiming to keep Trump in office.
Romney eventually walks away as the woman says, “You’re a joke, absolute joke, disgusting shame.”
Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, on Wednesday denounced such harassment.
“No matter our political differences let’s all treat each other with respect and decency,” he tweeted. “Harassing your political opponents on a plane is not acceptable. Harassing your political opponents at their home is not acceptable. We as a country need to be better than this.”
