Sen. Mitt Romney
Willard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyMore conservatives break with Trump over election claims The Hill's 12:30 Report - Presented by Capital One - Pfizer, BioNTech apply for vaccine authorization Peggy Noonan: 'Bogus dispute' by Trump 'doing real damage' MORE (R-Utah) said Friday that he is "sickened" by the behavior described in special counsel Robert Mueller
Robert (Bob) MuellerCNN's Toobin warns McCabe is in 'perilous condition' with emboldened Trump CNN anchor rips Trump over Stone while evoking Clinton-Lynch tarmac meeting The Hill's 12:30 Report: New Hampshire fallout MORE's report, including the actions of President Trump
Donald John TrumpBen Carson says he's 'out of the woods' after being 'extremely sick' with COVID-19 Biden will receive @POTUS Twitter account on Jan. 20 even if Trump doesn't concede, company says Trump to participate in virtual G-20 summit amid coronavirus surge MORE.
"I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President," Romney said in a statement posted to Twitter.
Romney's comments came a day after Attorney General William Barr
Bill BarrMerrick Garland on list to be Biden's attorney general: report DOJ dropping charges against ex-Mexican defense minister DOJ watchdog finds Louisiana inmates with coronavirus were not isolated for a week MORE released the 448-page report detailing Mueller's findings from his probe into the 2016 election and the Trump campaign as well as his conclusion that Congress may probe potential obstruction of justice.
I have now read the redacted Mueller report and offer my personal reaction: pic.twitter.com/ACnExskqXJ
— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) April 19, 2019
Mueller's report details various instances in which White House aides acted to protect the president and themselves by ignoring certain directives from Trump involving probes around his campaign and administration.
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"Reading the report is a sobering revelation of how far we have strayed from the aspirations and principles of the founders," Romney said Friday.
While the report found no collusion between Russia and the Trump campaign, it went into extensive detail about Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 presidential election, including documenting "numerous links" and conversations between Trump campaign officials and Moscow.
"Although ... the Campaign expected it would benefit electorally from information stolen and released through Russian efforts, the investigation did not establish that members of the Trump Campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities," Mueller wrote.
Romney, in his statement Friday, said that he was "appalled" that members of the Trump campaign would welcome help from Russian officials.
"I am appalled that, among other things, fellow citizens working in a campaign for president welcomed help from Russia—including information that had been illegally obtained; that none of them acted to inform American law enforcement," Romney said.
Romney's pushback against the behavior of Trump and White House aides described in Mueller's report comes as Senate Republicans, who are scattered around the country because of the two-week holiday recess, have largely stopped short of weighing in on the details of the report.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell
Addison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellBiden decides on pick for secretary of State OVERNIGHT ENERGY: House Democrats push Biden to pick Haaland as next Interior secretary | Trump administration proposal takes aim at bank pledges to avoid fossil fuel financing | Wasserman Schultz pitches climate plan in race to chair Appropriations Key McConnell ally: Biden should get access to transition resources MORE (R-Ky.) said Thursday that he would be "carefully reviewing" the report.
And Sen. Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin GrahamHackers love a bad transition The Hill's Campaign Report: Trump campaign files for Wis. recount l Secretaries of state fume at Trump allegations l Biden angered over transition delay Georgia elections chief: 'Emotional abuse' to mislead voters about fraud MORE (R-S.C.), the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, used his initial statement on the report to praise Barr, who has become the focus of Democratic ire over his handling of Mueller's findings.
Romney added Friday that it was "good news that there was insufficient evidence" to charge Trump with conspiring with Russia during the 2016 election or obstructing justice.
"The alternative would have taken us through a wrenching process with the potential for constitutional crisis," he said. "The business of government can move on."