Former Sen. Mitt Romney attributed Republicans' midterm election losses to a lack of sound policy and compassionate governing, urging his party to reverse course in comments to reporters Wednesday.

Romney, who retired from the Senate in January 2026 after one term representing Utah, has been among the most vocal Republican critics of his party's direction since Donald Trump's rise. His "bad policy, bad character" framing echoes themes from his 2012 presidential campaign and his 2020 vote to convict Trump in his first impeachment trial.

The comments come as Republicans appear headed for significant losses in the midterms, including the potential breaking of their supermajority in Romney's home state of Utah.