U.S. Senate candidate Mitt Romney declined a question on his 2016 speech blasting President Donald Trump as "a phony" and "a fraud," saying he won't "look backward," at an event on Friday, Deseret News reports.
Romney, along with his wife Ann, spoke with roughly 600 people in a "candid conversation" in their home, which was moderated by a former TV news anchor from the Hale Centre Theatre in Sandy, Utah.
One member of the audience asked Romney if he would give the same speech he gave in March 2016 at the University of Utah today, and how he would change it if not.
"I look forward. I'm not going to look backward," Romney replied.
Before Trump's election, Romney made headlines when he blasted the then-Republican nominee as "a phony, a fraud," and saying "his promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He's playing members of the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House, and all we get is a lousy hat."
Since announcing his campaign for Senate, Romney has downplayed his problems with Trump, praising Trump's action on taxes and deceasing bureaucracy.
"President Trump and I both respect people who speak their mind. I call them like I see them. He of course does the same thing," Romney said at an event last month.
"If either one of us does something that the other finds to be out of line or not right for the country, why, I'm sure we'll speak out."