Republican Party leaders, GOP congressmen, and former White House officials called Wednesday for the GOP to expel Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) for his decision to vote to convict President Donald Trump during the impeachment trial.

Romney, the 2012 failed Republican presidential candidate, announced on the Senate floor Wednesday that he will vote to convict President Trump of obstruction of Congress and abusing the office of the presidency.

“The president is guilty of an appalling abuse of public trust,” Romney said.

U.S. Senate

Utah’s junior senator previewed his decision to vote to convict the president in an interview with the Atlantic Tuesday. He said that it was the “most difficult decision I have ever had to make in my life.” Romney then spoke with Fox News Channel anchor Chris Wallace, a known critic of President Trump.

Romney said in his interview with the Atlantic‘s McKay Coppins:

The president did, in fact, pressure a foreign government to corrupt our election process. And really, corrupting an election process in a democratic republic is about as abusive and egregious an act against the Constitution—and one’s oath—that I can imagine. It’s what autocrats do.

Romney also said that he will not make an endorsement during the 2020 presidential election and will not vote for Trump during the election. He also said, “Under no circumstances would I vote for Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren to become president of the United States.”

Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee chairwoman, tweeted Wednesday that the party stands with President Trump over Romney.

“This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last. The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him. I, along with the @GOP, stand with President Trump,” McDaniel said.

This is not the first time I have disagreed with Mitt, and I imagine it will not be the last. The bottom line is President Trump did nothing wrong, and the Republican Party is more united than ever behind him. I, along with the @GOP, stand with President Trump. — Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) February 5, 2020

Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son, said that Romney is “bitter” that he will never be president and called on the GOP to expel Romney from the party.

Trump Jr. wrote, “Mitt Romney is forever bitter that he will never be POTUS. He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so he’s joining them now. He’s now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the @GOP.”

Mitt Romney is forever bitter that he will never be POTUS. He was too weak to beat the Democrats then so he’s joining them now. He’s now officially a member of the resistance & should be expelled from the @GOP. — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 5, 2020

Andrew Surabian, a former White House staffer, tweeted, “ExpelMitt.”

Sam Nunberg, a former adviser to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign, rhetorically asked, “Is @MittRomney making a last ditch effort to become the @DNC nominee?”

Is @MittRomney making a last ditch effort to become the @DNC nominee? — Sam Nunberg (@NunbergSam) February 5, 2020

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) tweeted, “Mitt Romney is a sore loser.”

Mitt Romney is a sore loser. — Matt Gaetz (@mattgaetz) February 5, 2020

Lee Zeldin, a member of the president’s legal defense team, chastised Romney as a spiteful lawmaker who remains upset that he could not defeat Barack Obama during the 2012 presidential election, while Trump became president after defeating Hillary Clinton.

The New York congressman said:

Mitt Romney absolutely despises that Donald Trump was elected POTUS & he was not. The sore loser mentality launched this sham impeachment & corruptly rigged & jammed it through the House. It looks like Schiff recruited himself a sore loser buddy on the GOP side to play along.

Mitt Romney absolutely despises that Donald Trump was elected POTUS & he was not. The sore loser mentality launched this sham impeachment & corruptly rigged & jammed it through the House. It looks like Schiff recruited himself a sore loser buddy on the GOP side to play along. — Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) February 5, 2020