With his harshly worded op-ed against the president published in the Washington Post just a day before being sworn in to the Senate, Mitt Romney seems to be resuming his rocky relationship with Donald Trump.

Romney had placed himself squarely at the front of the “Just Not Trump” camp before the 2016 elections, describing Trump in insulting terms and vowing he’d never vote for him. Then, after the elections, when Trump invited Romney for a series of high-profile meetings to discuss a possible appointment as secretary of state, he made an abrupt about-face. Trump exacted his revenge by hiring Rex Tillerson for the post.

The two men maintained a cold peace as Romney ran for the Senate in Utah, and Trump even went so far as to endorse the bid. As soon as the election was over, however, Romney again changed his tune. Romney gleefully filled the vacuum left by the late John McCain and the resigned Jeff Flake, and took up the role of primary Trump-basher.

It’s hard to conjecture what Romney’s motive is. Mounting a 2020 primary challenge against Trump sounds unrealistic, if not delusional. More likely, he sees that being elected to the Senate until 2024 puts him in a unique position. Unlike the majority of senators, Romney won’t have to run again in 2020 or in 2022, so he doesn’t have to be nice to Trump or to his base. Trump will be out of politics in 2024, regardless of what happens in 2020; Romney can then brand himself as an alternative.

Meanwhile, he has to prove himself a team player, not just a troublemaker.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 743)