A July 19 Instagram post (direct link, archive link) claims a well-known politician is potentially joining the opposing party.
“Senator #MittRomney Threatens to Leave Republican Party and Join Democrats,” reads the post.
It received nearly 30,000 likes in less than a week.
Follow us on Facebook! Like our page to get updates throughout the day on our latest debunks
A spokesperson for the Utah senator told the Associated Press the claim is false. Despite Romney's criticisms of the party's embrace of former President Donald Trump, he identifies as a Republican and has filed paperwork for a potential 2024 reelection campaign as such.
Romney spokesperson Paige Waltz told the Associated Press there is “zero truth” to the claims, which she described as “misinformation spread by online bots.”
A Romney spokesperson declined further comment, referring USA TODAY to the Associated Press article.
Romney spoke of “our party” in a July 24 op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, further showing he still identifies as a Republican.
In the column, he encouraged Republican influencers and megadonors to get presidential candidates to drop out of the race if and when it’s clear there is no path to victory. Doing so, Romney argued, would make it possible to have a competitive two-person race and avoid giving Trump "the prize."
Fact check: Trump can run in...
The lawsuit alleges the CCRB’s online database, 50-a.org, unfairly harms officers by listing serious accusations including sexual misconduct, racial profiling and making false official statements ...