Republican Senator Mitt Romney received the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage award for his vote to condemn former President Donald Trump during his first impeachment trial “and his consistent and courageous defense of democracy”.
“He was willing to risk his career and popularity within his own party to do what is right for our country and to follow his conscience and constitution and his impeachment votes,” former Ambassador Caroline Kennedy told White House correspondent Peter Alexander, head of NBC News, on Friday in an exclusive interview on “TODAY”.
“I think his courage is an example for all of us,” she said, adding that Romney’s decision reflected the lawmakers in her father’s book, which named the award.
Utah’s Romney is the first senator in the history of the United States to vote to condemn a president of his own party. Trump was acquitted of allegations that he had requested foreign interference in the 2020 presidential election.
“I’m very grateful for the honor, but I also feel humble for it,” said Romney, 74, noting that he once ran against Ted Kennedy, Caroline Kennedy’s late uncle.
Romney’s vote created some enemies in his party, but he said he did not regret his decision.
“I sleep well because I know that I did what my conscience told me was the right thing to do,” he said.
“We took a different oath when the impeachment trial started,” added Romney. “We swore, under God, that we would apply impartial justice. I took this very, very seriously. I listened to the various testimonies that were provided, examined them in some depth … and felt that it was a severe enough violation of his oath of office to demand a guilty verdict. “
“What I’ve discovered over the course of my life is doing the things you know are right, responding to the whispers of your conscience and allowing you to have a greater degree of happiness and satisfaction than if you just do things to try to progress.”
Caroline Kennedy’s son Jack Schlossberg, 28, said Romney’s actions proved “that courage, faith and integrity are not out of date and that politics can still be a noble profession”.
