Utah's newly-elected Senator Republican Mitt Romney is getting blowback for his op-ed piece in the Washington Post, in which he calls President Trump's character into question. Some of the pushback is coming from his own family.

Romney used to like Trump until Trump got elected president. Romney has always wanted to be president, but he stumbled along the way and is insanely disturbed by the fact that Trump was elected. Romney is not handling it well at all.

Romney's own niece, GOP Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel, chided Uncle Mitt in a tweet:

Kentucky Senator Republican Rand Paul told Neil Cavuto on Fox that Romney will face repercussions.

"I think it's gonna backfire on him," Rand said. "When you attack someone's character like that, I think that's such a low blow and so personally directed and so malevolent ... He's now called (Trump's) character 'dishonest.'"

Former House Speaker Republican Newt Gingrich suggested on Fox that Romney may have a much greater sense of his own self-importance than he should. Romney spent Wednesday fending off criticism of his op-ed.

Mitt Romney sure sounds like a guy who wants to challenge Trump in a party primary next year. He talks about the need for unity yet continues to divide. Romney may be attempting to further divide an already-fractured party in hopes of stripping Trump of the nomination next year.

If that is the plan, I don't think it will succeed.

Barry Richard is the host of The Barry Richard Show on 1420 WBSM New Bedford. He can be heard weekdays from noon to 3 p.m. Contact him at barry@wbsm.com and follow him on Twitter @BarryJRichard58. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. 

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