Others in the GOP, especially those whose sympathies lie with Trump, take a far starker view of the former Massachusetts governor’s intentions.

“Romney is running for the U.S. Senate for one reason and one reason only — to challenge Donald Trump in the 2020 primary,” said one source close to the Republican Party. “Romney knows that; Trump knows that; and most importantly, Trump’s base knows that.”…

“All Trump has to say is, ‘I’m the president of the United States and you’re the junior senator from Utah.’ That’s how he will bracket him, label him: a junior senator,” this source said.