The West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin has walked back his recent call for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to nominate Utah Senator Mitt Romney as its presidential candidate.
In a Sunday essay for The New York Times titled “How I Would Script This Moment for Biden and the Democrats,” Sorkin laid out an unorthodox strategy for beating former President Donald Trump in November.
“There’s something the Democrats can do that would not just put a lump in people’s throats with its appeal to stop-Donald-Trump-at-all-costs unity, but with its originality and sense of sacrifice. So here’s my pitch to the writers’ room: The Democratic Party should pick a Republican,” he wrote. “At their convention next month, the Democrats should nominate Mitt Romney.”
The A-list screenwriter, whose credits include The Social Network, Charlie Wilson’s War, and The American President, acknowledged that no Democrats are polling better than Biden.
However, Sorkin said, “this election isn’t about what our elections are usually about it, but about stopping a deranged man from taking power. Surely Mr. Romney, who doesn’t have to be introduced to voters, would peel off enough Republican votes to win, probably by a lot.”
Though the Utah senator would likely not support left-leaning or progressive policies, the West Wing creator said, “the choice is between Donald Trump and not-Trump.”
He added, “the not-Trump candidate needs only one qualification: to win enough votes from a cross section of Americans to close off the former president’s Electoral College path back to power.”
Following President Joe Biden’s announcement that he was ending his bid for re-election on Sunday, Sorkin retracted his suggestion. The dramatist then threw support behind Vice President Kamala Harris after she launched her campaign.
“I take it all back. Harris for America!” Sorkin said in an email to West Wing actor Joshua Malina, whom the scribe asked to share the statement on X.
— (((Jew))) (@JoshMalina) July 21, 2024
Jodie Oriol, Sorkin’s publicist, confirmed to Variety that the quote was authentic.
After Biden’s campaign repeatedly insisted that the president was staying in the race, Biden formally bowed out after top Democrats, including Barack Obama, suggested he should reconsider his run.
After Biden’s announcement, Harris released a statement thanking the president for his “selfless and patriotic act.”
“I am honored to have the President’s endorsement and my intention is to earn and win this nomination,” she said. “Over the past year, I have traveled across the country, talking with Americans about the clear choice in this momentous election. And that is what I will continue to do in the days and weeks ahead. I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic party — and unite our nation — to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda.”
Trump has repeatedly disavowed the conservative Project 2025 being presented by the Heritage Foundation.
The statement concluded with Harris saying, "We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win."
Cassandra MacDonald contributed to this report
