Video posted to TikTok appeared to show a user bragging about confronting Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, at the airport. Screen grab: KSL NewsRadio
A video surfacing around various social media sites shows an angry voter approaching Mitt Romney, the Republican junior senator from Utah, at Salt Lake City International Airport, apparently waiting to board a plane to Washington D.C.
The TikTok user @breonnabingham posted a two-part series on the app, expressing disgrace for the senator and his supposed lack of support for President Trump. It’s unclear if the user is the original owner of the video.
@breonnabinghamHow do you feel about this Utah? 😡🤬 Part 1 ##trump2020 ##maskpolice ##sellout ##mittromney ##utah♬ original sound – 🇺🇸 BRE 🇺🇸
@breonnabingham“Actually that’s not how the CONSTITUTION works” 🤔😡 Part 2 ##mittromney ##utahsellout ##youworkforus ##trump2020♬ original sound – 🇺🇸 BRE 🇺🇸
A third video from the same account appears to show angry passengers yelling “traitor” at Romney, at that point on the plane rather than waiting to board.
@breonnabinghamUtah!! Tell him how you really feel… Part 3 ##traitor ##utah ##patriots ##trump2020 ##mittromney♬ original sound – 🇺🇸 BRE 🇺🇸
Romney previously said he planned to vote to certify the results of the Electoral College, declaring Joe Biden the next president of the United States, in a joint session of Congress on Wednesday. Protesters also plan to march on Washington Wednesday, protesting the election results.
KSL NewsRadio has reached out to Romney’s team for a comment and is awaiting a reply.
“Most people don’t understand that those members of the House and the Senate do not have security details, and when they travel they’re typically alone,” Boyd Matheson said.
That is something that holds true for the vast majority of the 535 members of Congress as well Matheson said. He said generally, the only Congress members that generally have security teams are the leaders of both parties in the House and the Senate.
“Most people also think that it’s kind of a lifestyle of the rich and famous kind of travel and it just isn’t. Most of those flights going back and forth from Salt Lake City to DC are very crowded. It’s not uncommon to not only see a member of Congress sitting in the back of the plane, you often see them sitting in the middle seat of a plane.”
Matheson, who worked as the Chief of Staff for Utah Senator Mike Lee said that the majority of interactions between members of Congress and others at the airport are respectful and productive.
“That’s a great thing by the way, and it’s unfortunate that you have some that pull out cameras and try and create a gotcha moment or try and create a scene.
“Some of the greatest conversations I have seen between a member of Congress and a constituent have happened on airplanes and have happened getting on or getting off a plane where suddenly a little conversation started or a comment was made and suddenly you have senator hearing the story of a grandfather or someone who is struggling with something.
“Those are great moments and that’s why our system is set up the way it is so that people can have access to their elected officials,” Matheson continued.
That interaction is something he says is threatened by interactions like this and if enough of them happen by people looking for social media clout it will create another barrier between the people and those they elected to represent them.