Trump wishes Romney luck amid talk of Senate bid

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney, who is believed to be preparing to run for U.S. Senate in Utah, spoke with President Trump on the phone Thursday evening.

Two sources who were briefed on the call described it to Politico, saying it lasted less than 10 minutes. Trump wished Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, the best of luck in his future endeavors.

The two men also reportedly talked about Sen. Orrin Hatch, whose retirement announcement earlier this week opened up the seat.

Trump had tried to get Hatch, 83, to run for re-election so Romney could not take his seat. The president traveled with Hatch to Salt Lake City in December to praise him at a ceremony announcing the shrinking of two of Utah's national monuments, a move that Hatch supported.

Trump and Romney have not always had a smooth relationship. Romney criticized Trump during the 2016 GOP primary season, giving a major speech in which he called the GOP frontrunner a "fraud" and a "phony" and begging the party to nominate a different candidate.

After the general election, the relationship thawed slightly as Trump considered making Romney his secretary of state.

But Romney did not get the job, and he has continued to criticize Trump occasionally. The former Massachusetts governor has signaled he would be willing to oppose Trump as a senator.

Romney told friends he was caught off guard by Hatch's retirement, according to Politico. But people close to the 2012 nominee say he will almost certainly jump into the race for Hatch's seat sometime in the next few weeks.

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