facebook-pixel

‘The Rundown’: Trump says Romney ‘couldn’t get elected dogcatcher,’ but the numbers say otherwise

Your Tuesday morning Utah political cheat sheet

"The Rundown" logo

  | Aug. 31, 2021, 12:36 p.m.

Good Tuesday morning Utah! Thanks for reading “The Rundown”.

Can you believe it’s the final day of August?

👂 I’m listening! Do you have a news tip, or maybe some feedback on this newsletter? Tell me what you’re thinking. Send me an email or find me on Twitter @SchottHappens.

Get this newsletter delivered to your inbox every weekday morning. Sign up for free here.

Trump: “Romney couldn’t get elected dogcatcher”

During a Monday night interview, former President Donald Trump attacked one of his favorite targets, Sen. Mitt Romney.

“If Romney ran right now in Utah, he couldn’t get elected dog catcher. But the problem right now is we have him for three years,” Trump said.

OANN host Dan Ball let that statement pass without so much as a raised eyebrow.

Putting aside Trump’s hyperbole, let’s take a look at the numbers.

First, Romney did better during his 2012 presidential run than Trump did in both 2016 and 2020.

  • In 2012, Romney got 47.2% of the vote against Barack Obama. Trump received 46.1% in 2016 and 46.9% in 2020.
  • In the 2012 election, Romney pulled in 72.8% in Utah. Trump was far behind that total as he only got 45.5% in 2016 and 58.1% in 2020.
  • In the 2018 Senate race, Romney did better than Trump ever did in Utah, tallying 62.2% of the vote.
  • Last week, an OH Predictive Insights poll showed Romney had a higher approval rating among Utahns (49%) than Trump (46%).

    • So, strictly by the numbers, Romney > Trump.

    Here’s what you need to know for Tuesday morning

    🚨 The last troops have left Afghanistan, ending America’s longest war. [AP]

    😷 The U.S. Department of Education is investigating Utah’s ban on schools enacting mask mandates, claiming the policy is discriminatory toward students with disabilities or health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus. [Tribune]

    💉 The University of Utah Health system will require employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. [Tribune]

    💉 Utah Valley University joins the list of public colleges in Utah requiring students to be vaccinated against COVID-19. [Tribune]

    🐴 The Utah Poison Control Center says they’ve seen an increase in calls from people attempting to treat COVID-19 with Ivermectin, a horse dewormer. [Tribune]

    🦠 The European Union recommended its 27 nations reinstitute travel restrictions on tourists from the U.S. because of rising coronavirus cases. [AP]

    ⚖️ Abortion providers in Texas have asked the Supreme Court to block a restrictive new law that bans abortions after six weeks. The law also allows private citizens to bring civil suits against anyone who assists a pregnant woman seeking an abortion. [CNN]

    👀 Goldman Sachs says 750,000 families could be evicted by the end of the year unless Congress takes action. [CNN]

    📺 Former Utah Rep. Mia Love is joining The View as a guest host next week. [Tribune]

    ⛈ Hurricane Ida has left thousands without power along the Gulf Coast [CNN]

    🔥 The resort city of South Lake Tahoe was evacuated on Monday as a massive wildfire continued to move toward the area. [AP]

    🕹 China bans citizens under 18 from playing video games on weeknights and limits their overall game use to 3 hours on the weekend. [WSJ]

    🏈 An online charter school tricked ESPN into televising their football game against the nation’s #1 high school football team. Bishop Sycamore said they had several college prospects on their team. That was a lie, and they got blown out 58-0. [Awful Announcing]

    Tuesday morning’s Utah news roundup

    Utah

  • Plane that crashed in West Jordan, killing 4, shouldn’t have taken off, lawsuit alleges. [Tribune]
  • Saluting the women who broke the gender barrier at Bonneville Salt Flats. [Deseret News]
  • Naloxone supply issue has harm reduction groups prioritizing who gets life-saving medicine. [KUTV]
  • Work begins on ‘Weber Remembers’ commemorative 9/11 museum. [KUTV]

    • COVID-19

  • More than 3,300 Utahns catch COVID-19, and five people die. [Tribune]
  • ‘I thought I would be OK’: Vernal mom shares story of getting COVID after declining the vaccine. [Tribune]

    • Education

  • Former police chief sues the University of Utah for $2.5 million. [Tribune]
  • Weber State clinic sees ‘one of the busiest days’ following vaccine announcement. [FOX13]

    • Afghanistan

  • Utah Marine’s death ‘takes your breath and crushes your heart,’ family tells hundreds at vigil at the State Capitol. [Tribune]
  • Afghan refugees could arrive in Utah in a few weeks. [FOX13]
  • Utah senators working to get pregnant wife of US service member out of Afghanistan. [KUTV]

    • Religion

  • Did LDS tithing go toward City Creek Center? Answer may depend on how you define tithing. [Tribune]
  • ‘I know that my creation was not a mistake’: LGBTQ community and allies gather at City Creek Park following comments from apostle Jeffrey Holland. [Tribune]

    • Environment

  • A lot of Utah just dropped fire restrictions. [FOX13]
  • Hurricane Ida: How is Utah helping? [Deseret News]

    • Local Government

  • Masks required in SLCo Government Center regardless of vaccination status. [FOX13]
  • First female Utah County commissioner pushes policy and strollers. [Daily Herald]
  • Weber County officials mull school mask rules — in certain circumstances. [Standard Examiner]

    • On the Opinion Pages

  • Robert Gehrke: Will oil and gas foxes be watching Utah’s air quality henhouse? [Tribune]
  • Monique Derr: Christ never taught to exclude homosexuals from eternal happiness. [Tribune]
  • Stuart C. Reid: Holland was correct to urge BYU to stick to its mission and God’s laws. [Tribune]

    • 🎂 You say it’s your birthday?!!

    Happy birthday to former state Rep. Chris Herrod.

    Got a birthday you’d like us to recognize in this space? Send us an email.

    — The Tribune’s Connor Sanders contributed to this report.