Despite the unlikely victory by Trump that was made possible because of his overtures to the conservative base, the president doesn’t have that many sold allies in Congress. The first year of his presidency has been a constant battle against the Establishment clowns like McCain and McConnell, who have never seen a conservative policy they didn’t want to thwart.
While allies may be few and far between, there are a few folks that have been solidly in Trump’s corner. Unfortunately, however, one of them has just announced his retirement.
As reported at CNBC, Orrin Hatch, the second-longest serving US senator, plans to retire at the end of his current term. The 83-year-old shared an announcement video via Twitter Tuesday, in which he said his 40 plus years in Congress would finally be coming to an end. The move comes right after the massive battle over taxes, which saw the GOP successfully pass their contentious law.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly urged Hatch to seek reelection, but the Senate Finance Committee chairman has opted to call it a day. Hatch showered Trump with praise during the tax battle and since its passage, setting himself apart from the many GOP senators that have routinely criticized and attacked him.
In retirement announcement video, Hatch said he was “deeply grateful” to serve as a senator and said, “the next chapter in my public service is just beginning.”
“When the president visited Utah last month, he said I was a fighter. I’ve always been a fighter. I was an amateur boxer in my youth, and I brought that fighting spirit with me to Washington. But every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves. And for me, that time is soon approaching. That’s why, after much prayer and discussion with family and friends, I’ve decided to retire at the end of this term. Although I will miss serving you in the Senate, I look forward to spending more time with family, especially my sweet wife Elaine, whose unwavering love and support made all of this possible.”
The question now is who will replace the long-time senator? A pro-conservative Trump ally would obviously be best, but there have long been rumors that twice failed presidential candidate Mitt Romney would run for the seat once Hatch retired.
Romney has been a very vocal critic of Trump, and there’s no question he’d be a formidable candidate should he run, considering the support he’d get from the wealthy GOP establishment. All eyes will certainly be on Utah in the weeks ahead as prospective candidates start greasing the wheels. One can only hope that conservatives don’t get stuck with yet another Benedict Arnold of a representative.
Source: CNBC