For most of his life, Mitt Romney has harbored a macabre fascination with his own mortality, suspecting that it may one day come for him suddenly and violently. Naturally, he takes control of what he can – wearing his seat belt, diligently applying sunscreen, and avoiding secondhand smoke. For decades, he has followed his doctor’s prescribed regimen for longevity with unwavering dedication – consuming lean meats, taking low-dose aspirin, and engaging in daily 30-minute sessions on the stationary bike, ensuring his heartbeat reaches 140 or higher. Anything less doesn’t count.
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If given the chance, Romney would live to be 120 years old. “There is so much that will happen!” he exclaims when asked about his desires. He longs to witness it all. However, deep down, he has always doubted that he will come anywhere close to that age.
Romney has never truly delved into the root cause of this preoccupation, but ominous premonitions of his demise seem to shadow him. Years ago, during a business trip to London, a flight attendant whom he had never met before became visibly horrified upon seeing him and quickly fled from the cabin. When asked about the cause of her distress, she confessed that she had dreamt the night prior about a man who bore an uncanny resemblance to Romney being fatally shot at a rally in Hyde Park. Uncertain of how to respond, he simply laughed it off and dismissed it from his mind. However, when he found himself near Hyde Park a few days later and noticed a gathering crowd, he made a point to avoid lingering.
All of this is to say that there is something eerily familiar about the unsettling sensation Romney experiences on the late afternoon of January 2, 2021. It begins with a text message from Angus King, the junior senator from Maine: “Could you give me a call when you get a chance? Important.”
Romney dials King’s number and is briefed on a conversation King had just had with a high-ranking Pentagon official. Law enforcement agencies have been monitoring online chatter among right-wing extremists, who seem to be plotting something sinister for the day of Donald Trump’s upcoming rally in Washington, D.C. With Trump claiming that the election was stolen, these extremists now aim to reclaim it through violent means. Disturbing discussions of gun smuggling, bombings, arson, and even targeting members of Congress responsible for the alleged theft have emerged. Romney’s name has appeared in some of these alarming online discussions, prompting King to reach out to him out of concern for his safety.
After ending the call, Romney immediately starts composing a text to Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader. McConnell, despite tolerating Trump’s deranged behavior throughout his presidency, is not foolish. He knows that the election was not stolen and that Trump lost fair and square. He recognizes the posturing of fellow Republican politicians for what it truly is. Romney believes McConnell should be made aware of the situation and take necessary precautions to protect himself and his colleagues.
Romney sends the text: “In case you have not heard this, I just got a call from Angus King, who said that he had spoken with a senior official at the Pentagon. They are observing highly disturbing social media activity related to the planned protests on the 6th. There are threats to burn down your home, Mitch, to smuggle firearms into DC, and to storm the Capitol. I hope that sufficient security measures are in place, but I am concerned that the instigator – the President – holds command over the reinforcements that may be required by the DC and Capitol police.”
However, McConnell never responds.
I began meeting with Romney in the spring of 2021. The senator had not disclosed his collaboration with a biographer to anyone, and our interviews were conducted discreetly. Sometimes, we conversed in his Senate office, after most of his staff had left for the day. Other times, we retreated to his small, windowless “hideaway” near the Senate chamber. However, most weeks, I would drive to a dignified brick townhouse located on a serene street just a mile away from the Capitol.
This residence was not Romney’s first choice when searching for a home in Washington. Upon being elected in 2018, he had set his sights on a newly renovated condominium at the Watergate complex, offering stunning views of the Potomac. His wife, Ann, had fallen in love with the place. However, his prospective staff and colleagues warned him about the lengthy commute. Consequently, albeit reluctantly, he opted for practicality over luxury and settled for the $2.4 million townhouse.
He made an effort to furnish it nicely, ensuring Ann would feel comfortable whenever she visited. A decorator filled the rooms with tasteful furniture and serene abstract artwork. He even created a garden on the small patio in the backyard. However, Ann rarely found herself in Washington, and their sons did not visit either. Gradually, the house took on the appearance of an unkempt bachelor pad. Crumbs littered the kitchen counter, the fridge housed nothing but soda and seltzer, and old campaign memorabilia clashed with the decorator’s color scheme. In the powder room, a bar of “Trump’s Small Hand Soap,” a gag gift from one of his sons, humorously sat beside monogrammed towels.
Romney’s “dining room” featured a 98-inch TV mounted on the wall, accompanied by a leather recliner positioned in front of it. Given his lack of genuine friendships in Washington, he often dined alone in this room, watching shows like Ted Lasso or Better Call Saul while perusing briefing materials. On the day of my initial visit, he proudly displayed his freezer, filled with salmon fillets gifted to him by Lisa Murkowski, the senator from Alaska. Although not particularly fond of salmon, he found that sandwiching it between hamburger buns and dousing it in ketchup created an acceptable meal.
In the senator’s presence, his almost debonair attractiveness arouses slight skepticism. His impeccably chiseled jawline lacks any trace of sagging skin. His year-round tan appears flawless. There is a perfect balance of just the right amount of gray near his temples, contrasting perfectly with his thick, black hair, which his barber claims he does not dye. It all feels a bit uncanny. However, upon closer observation, signs of aging become more apparent. He has developed a slight shuffle in his gait and a slight hunch when seated. At various points in recent years, he has become worryingly thin, causing concern among his staff. Mostly, he just seems exhausted.
Romney’s isolation in Washington did not surprise me. In fewer than ten years, he went from being the Republican nominee for president and the party’s standard-bearer to being ostracized by his own party due to numerous public clashes with Trump. However, what did surprise me was his willingness to be open and candid. He directed his scheduler to set aside evenings for weekly interviews and assured me that no topic was off-limits. He handed over hundreds of pages from his private journals and years’ worth of personal correspondence, including sensitive emails exchanged with some of the most influential Republicans in the country. When he couldn’t find the key for an old filing cabinet containing personal papers, he resorted to using a crowbar and deposited stacks of campaign documents and legal pads into my lap. He had kept all of these materials, believing that he might someday write a memoir, though he ultimately decided against it. “I cannot be objective about my own life,” he remarked.
Some nights, he vented his frustrations, while on other nights, he revealed intriguing tidbits. Contrary to his public persona, he possessed a mischievous streak and delighted in the absurd humor of political life, often sharing stories that others would deem indiscreet. I sensed that he enjoyed the company, and our conversations occasionally extended well into the night.
I had never encountered a politician so willing to confront the personal sacrifices he had made in his pursuit of power. “A significant portion of my party,” he confessed to me one day, “does not truly believe in the Constitution.” This revelation had only recently dawned upon him. We were a few months removed from a failed coup attempt orchestrated by Republican leaders, and Romney found himself grappling with challenging questions. Was there an authoritarian element… [to be continued]
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