Hey Reddit, I spent the past two and a half years reporting on what Senator Mitt Romney saw in his more than three decades in politics. Romney has made headlines in recent years for voting to remove former President Donald Trump from office and accusing fellow Republicans of stoking the January 6 insurrection.
Based on hundreds of pages of personal journals that he gave me, along with dozens of interviews with him and his inner circle, I trace Romney’s rise through the Republican Party. My biography takes readers behind the scenes of Romney’s private meetings with Trump and dealings with Barack Obama, Joe Biden, George W. Bush, and more. I also detail his early life and his decision to ultimately retire from politics.
I have reported extensively on American politics for more than a decade. You can read an excerpt from my book [here](https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/11/mitt-romney-retiring-senate-trump-mcconnell/675306/), purchase it [here](https://tertulia.com/book/romney-a-reckoning-mckay-coppins/9781982196202?affiliate=atl-347), and dive into my previous coverage [here](https://www.theatlantic.com/author/mckay-coppins/).
Proof: [https://twitter.com/TheAtlantic/status/1725560465764323801/photo/1](https://twitter.com/theatlantic/status/1725560465764323801/photo/1)
by theatlantic
15 comments
Why is Romney not putting up a very convincing fight against Trumpism? He’s been critical, yes, but if he really sees the danger in it why is he not organizing more aggressively to fight Trumpism?
Does he really keep binders full of women?
How does he live with himself?
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[How Mitt Romney Drove Companies Bankrupt, Raided Pension Funds and Paid Himself Handsomely](https://sandiegofreepress.org/2012/07/how-mitt-romney-drove-companies-bankrupt-raided-pension-funds-and-paid-himself-handsomely/)
will Romney be considering running the 2030 or 2034 Olympics if they are awarded to Salt Lake City?
Romney always seemed to understand the danger Trump posed. Why did he try to get a role as Secretary of State in the Trump administration?
How did the Senator’s journals inform the writing and interview process? Did you fully read the materials provided by Romney prior to speaking with him and others on the record?
I know the media has reported on some of the unfiltered thoughts Romney had on some of his colleagues in the Senate. Since religion was a big driver of Romney’s views, I was curious if Romney ever discussed his thoughts on some of his other Mormon colleagues like Mike Lee (famously compared Trump to a Book of Mormon prophet; tried to overturn election) and Jon Huntsman Jr (early endorser of Trump and from a rival Mormon family).
Does he still have genuine hope for the future of the 1) his party and 2) this country? Why or why not?
Your book excerpt talks about Senator Romney being, essentially, an outcast within his own party. That he cannot believe some of the things his colleagues are doing. Did he ever give a reason for staying a Republican? If the party is really against someone, why be with them?
Many conservatives argue that Romney was attacked too aggressively during the 2012 campaign, and that this means Democrats are “responsible” for Trump. On the other hand, Obama was attacked extremely viciously, including by Trump, who Romney allowed to be a surrogate.
Do you get the sense that Romney thinks the campaign against him was “unfair”? If so, what does he think the line is, since he was clearly willing to use sharp elbows himself?
Romney even takes credit for it eventually, sorta, but how on earth does he reckon with the fact that his state healthcare system implemented while serving as governor of Massachusetts is the foundation for obamacare, a system that he and his party campaigned on repealing for YEARS. The republican party choose Romney as there presidential candidate, one who was proud of bipartisan support for establishing a sort of universal healthcare in his state, and for years outwardly criticized and spoiled efforts to advance universal healthcare legislation at a federal level.
How does Romney reconcile with his parties abject opposition to one of his key political legacies? In light of recent political shifts, that Romney seems like an outsider to a party that once thought he represented the most electable republican person must be incredibly jarring for this man. How the hell does he just roll with it?
While governor of Massachusetts did Romney provide personal information of citizens to the Mormon archives?
How does Senator Romney want to be remembered as a politician?
What do you think is the biggest misconception we have about Romney? Was was the biggest revelation about Romney you had while working on this project (something that surprised you/opened your eyes/ changed your mind)?
What is your earliest memory of meeting Senator Romney? I remember meeting him when he was the LDS Stake Youth President and I wonder if you have any early memories of him from before you went to BYU and before he was Governor. If you did meet him before he was Governor, did he remember you from your days in MA?