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Mitt Romney thanks Trump for Senate endorsement after calling him 'a fraud'

Trump greets Romney after endorsing his candidacy for president at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas in February 2012: Reuters
Trump greets Romney after endorsing his candidacy for president at the Trump Hotel in Las Vegas in February 2012: Reuters

Mitt Romney thanked Donald Trump for his endorsement in the Utah Senate race, despite previously having been one of the President’s highest-profile critics.

In the past, the former Presidential candidate has called Mr Trump a “phony” and “a fraud”, railed against his Republican Party leader's “bombast” and accused him of being “very, very not smart” on the subject of foreign policy.

Mr Trump gave as good as he got, suggesting in 2016 that the former Massachusetts governor had “choked like a dog” during his failed 2012 bid against President Barack Obama.

But after the US leader endorsed his candidacy, Mr Romney tweeted: “Thank you Mr President for the support. I hope that over the course of the campaign I also earn the support and endorsement of the people of Utah."

It followed Mr Trump's comment that his former sparring partner would make “a great senator and worthy successor" Orrin Hatch, the longest serving Republican senator in US history, who announced last month that he would retire after 40-years in the upper chamber of the House of Representatives.

Mr Trump has repeatedly said that he needs more Republicans elected during the 2018 congressional elections to win approval of more of his agenda.

Mr Romney said last week he generally approved of the Trump agenda, but would not hesitate to criticise him if necessary.

“I’m with the President’s domestic policy agenda of low taxes, low regulation, smaller government, pushing back against the bureaucrats,” Mr Romney said. “I’m not always with the President on what he might say or do, and if that happens I’ll call ‘em like I see ‘em, the way I have in the past.”

Mr Trump had lobbied Mr Hatch to run for re-election in 2018, in what was viewed as an effort to prevent Mr Romney from getting into the Senate.

Mr Romney, the son of former Michigan Governor George Romney, helped found the buyout firm Bain Capital and gained prominence after stepping in to lead the organising committee for the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics after a bribery scandal.

He served as governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007.

He first sought the presidency in 2008 but lost the Republican nomination to Arizona senator John McCain.

After securing the party's nomination in 2012, he lost to Barack Obama.

Additional reporting by agencies