U.S. Senate candidate Mitt Romney says he veers harder to the right than President Donald Trump does on a number of issues, including immigration.
"For instance, I'm a deficit hawk. That makes me more conservative than a lot of Republicans and a lot of Democrats," the former Massachusetts governor and two-time GOP presidential candidate said at an event sponsored by the Utah County Republican Women in Provo, The Daily Herald reports.
"I'm also more of a hawk on immigration than even the president. My view was these [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals] DACA kids shouldn't all be allowed to stay in the country legally."
Romney, now running for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, said he believes DACA recipients "need to do more" to justify permanent residency. That includes attending community college, getting a degree, serving in the military or teaching.
As to his hot-and-cold relationship with Trump, Romney said, "[He] has endorsed me in this race. He respects people who speak their mind, because now and then, as you know, if he says something I think is wrong, I'll point it out …
"There are times when the president may have said something that is either racist, or anti-woman, that is divisive," Romney said. "And if that happens, I'll call him out on it."
Nineteen other candidates have filed to enter the race for Hatch's Senate seat, including 12 Republicans and four Democrats.
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