Mitt Romney announced he won't seek reelection in 2024, but he's not resigning | Fact check

BrieAnna J. Frank, USA TODAY
·2 min read
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The claim: Utah Sen. Mitt Romney resigned

A Sept. 13 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims a high-profile Republican senator has suddenly left his position.

“BREAKING: Mitt Romney has resigned in disgrace!” reads the post. “Another RINO bites the dust!”

It was shared more than 150 times in less than a day.

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Our rating: False

Romney didn't resign. He announced he would not be seeking reelection in 2024. Romney will remain in his position through January 2025.

Romney says he's 'not retiring,' will remain in office until January 2025

Romney, who was elected to be a Utah senator in 2018, announced he would not be seeking reelection in a nearly three-minute video posted on X, formerly Twitter, on Sept. 13.

“I’ve spent my last 25 years in public service of one kind or another, at the end of another term, I’d be in my mid-eighties,” said Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee for president. “Frankly, it’s time for a new generation of leaders.”

He criticized both former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden in the video, claiming neither has shown leadership in confronting issues including the national debt and authoritarianism in China and Russia.

He said the nation's next generation of leaders "must take America to the next stage of global leadership." He said that he would not immediately leave his position.

“While I’m not running for reelection, I’m not retiring from the fight,” Romney said. “I’ll be your United States senator until January of 2025.”

More: Mitt Romney, among Donald Trump's biggest Republican critics, comes to his defense in New York case

Additionally, there are no resignation announcements on Romney’s website or social media pages.

There are also no reports of a supposed resignation from any legitimate news outlets. Outlets including USA TODAY, the Associated Press and the Washington Post reported on Romney's reelection decision but made no mention of a potential resignation.

Sen. Mitt Romney, (R-UT) announces his intention to not run for reelection. Romney, who is 76, announced in a release "the next generation of leaders must take America to the next stage of global leadership."
Sen. Mitt Romney, (R-UT) announces his intention to not run for reelection. Romney, who is 76, announced in a release "the next generation of leaders must take America to the next stage of global leadership."

USA TODAY has previously debunked claims that Romney threatened to leave the Republican party and become a Democrat, that Utah began officially collecting signatures to recall Romney in 2021 and that a tweet shows a response from Rep. Paul Gosar after Romney criticized his appearance with white nationalists.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Romney not seeking Senate reelection, but isn't resigning | Fact check