"The president certainly praises his service and is very sad to see Senator Hatch leave and knows that he will certainly be missed,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters Tuesday. | Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo White House: Trump 'very sad to see' Hatch retire

President Donald Trump’s reaction to Sen. Orrin Hatch’s retirement announcement on Tuesday: Sad.

“He’s particularly thankful for the senator’s leadership and massive effort that he played and the role that he played in getting the tax cut and reform package passed, and the president certainly praises his service and is very sad to see Senator Hatch leave and knows that he will certainly be missed,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters.


Hatch (R-Utah), who led the Senate’s tax-writing panel, announced his retirement shortly before Sanders kicked off her first briefing of the new year.

“Every good fighter knows when to hang up the gloves. And for me, that time is soon approaching,” the 83-year-old Senate Finance Committee chairman said in a video announcement. “That’s why, after much prayer and discussion with family and friends, I’ve decided to retire at the end of this term.”

His departure opens the door for a potential run by Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, who sparred with Trump during the 2016 campaign but was briefly considered to be secretary of state during the transition.

POLITICO Playbook newsletter Sign up today to receive the #1-rated newsletter in politics Email Sign Up By signing up you agree to receive email newsletters or alerts from POLITICO. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Sanders said she hadn’t spoken to Trump about the possibility of Romney’s serving in the Senate, and she indicated that it was too soon to talk about endorsing a potential candidate.

“Obviously, I don’t think we’ve made a determination in terms of campaigning,” she said, “but the president certainly has the greatest and deepest amount of respect for Sen. Hatch and his over four decades of experience in the Senate.”

Trump, via Twitter later Tuesday, congratulated Hatch “on an absolutely incredible career.”

“He has been a tremendous supporter, and I will never forget the (beyond kind) statements he has made about me as President,” Trump said. “He is my friend and he will be greatly missed in the U.S. Senate!”

