Mitt Romney Quotes & Sayings

Humanity is not common in its views. — Mitt Romney

I went to Massachusetts to make a difference. I didn't go there to begin a political career running time and time again. I made a difference. I put in place the things I wanted to do. — Mitt Romney

I happen to believe that if we want to replace a lifetime politician like Barack Obama, who had no experience leading anything, we've got to nominate a leader if we're going to replace someone who is not a leader. — Mitt Romney

I believe we should use any and all means necessary to take out people who pose a threat to us and our friends around the world. And it's widely reported that drones are being used in drone strikes, and I support that and entirely, and feel the president was right to up the usage of that technology, and believe that we should continue to use it, to continue to go after the people that represent a threat to this nation and to our friends. — Mitt Romney

I oppose same-sex marriage and civil unions but I support domestic partnership between gay and lesbian couples. I have no problem with gay and lesbian couples adopting. I support equal benefits for same-sex couples such as hospital visitation rights — Mitt Romney

I always enjoy listening to Rush Limbaugh. I often agree with him. Sometimes I disagree with him. — Mitt Romney

I'd like Americans to save their money, and not get taxed on their savings. — Mitt Romney

Certainly, no church should be involved in trying to set the affairs of the nation. — Mitt Romney

My whole life has been learning to lead, from my parents, to my education, to the experience I had in the private sector, to helping run the Olympics, and then of course helping guide a state. — Mitt Romney

I think it's unconstitutional on the 10th Amendment front. — Mitt Romney

You've got to be really careful about what you say and do anywhere you are. I actually had a dream about being in parking garage and having somebody in front of me taking too long to get their change and honking the horn and then yelling back, and getting out and yelling at each other and then seeing it on YouTube the next day. — Mitt Romney

I will fight for oil, coal and natural gas. — Mitt Romney

It's time for the party of big ideas, not the party of Big Brother! — Mitt Romney

A white male Mormon millionaire was not gonna beat Ted Kennedy in Massachusetts, but someone deserved to go out there and give him a real run for his money. — Mitt Romney

The president may be a nice guy, but he's just over his head. — Mitt Romney

We have always been a nation that has celebrated success of various kinds. The kid that gets the honor roll, the individual worker that gets a promotion, the person that gets a better job. And in fact, the person that builds a business. And by the way, if you have a business and you started it, you did build it. And you deserve credit for that. — Mitt Romney

I could have possibly beaten Senator McCain in the primary. Then I could have been the candidate who lost to Barack Obama. — Mitt Romney

If you want a president who will make things better in the African-American community, you are looking at him. You take a look! — Mitt Romney

Republicans should never abandon pro-growth conservative principles in an effort to embrace the ideas of Al Gore. — Mitt Romney

Freedom. Freedom of religion. Freedom to speak their mind. Freedom to build a life. And yes, freedom to build a business. With their own hands. This is the essence of the American experience. — Mitt Romney

We believe in individual initiative, personal responsibility, opportunity, freedom, small government, the Constitution. These principles, these American principles are key to getting our economy back to being successful and leading the world. — Mitt Romney

I don't just talk about change. I actually have a plan to execute change and make it happen. — Mitt Romney

I pray. Prayer is a time to connect with the divine, but also time, I'm sure, to concentrate one's thoughts, to meditate, and to imagine what might be. — Mitt Romney

I was in the world of business for 25 years. If you didn't balance your budget, you went out of business. — Mitt Romney

Flexibility. Oh, that's pretty clearly saying that what Donald Trump said to The New York Times is very different than what he's saying to the American people. He is not the real deal. He is a phony. — Mitt Romney

I don't want to transform America. I want to restore to America the economic values of freedom and opportunity and limited government that has made us the powerhouse of the world. — Mitt Romney

People who are government servants, public servants, should not be paid more than the taxpayers who are paying for it. — Mitt Romney

We Americans have always felt a special kinship with the future. — Mitt Romney

You can't control Ted Cruz for instance. No one has suggested you could do that and Marco Rubio, everyone tried to stop Marco Rubio from going against a sitting Republican governor in Florida. He did it anyway and won. — Mitt Romney

Massachusetts children cannot only lead the nation in test scores, they can be competitive with the best in the world. And the gap in achievement among races can virtually disappear. — Mitt Romney

We're not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers. — Mitt Romney

I believe that if America does not lead, others will - others who do not share our interests and our values - and the world will grow darker, for our friends and for us. — Mitt Romney

I'm not saying anything one way or the other about the two ballot issues. I am not speaking about the particular ballot issues. Those are up to the people of Ohio. But I certainly support the efforts of the governor to reign in the scale of government. I am not terribly familiar with the two ballot initiatives. But I am certainly supportive of the Republican Party's efforts here. — Mitt Romney

While I'm on foreign soil, I - I just don't feel that I should be speaking about differences with regards to myself and President Obama on foreign policy, either foreign policy of the past, or for foreign policy prescriptions. — Mitt Romney

We're going to have to rely on the world of Islam, major Islamic nations, to take the lead in helping promote a very different view of Islam - peace and understanding, as opposed to the radicalization going on. The Saudis and UAE and Qatar and others are going to have to take a leading role in changing hearts and minds in the world of Islam. — Mitt Romney

I support the work of the NRA, but disagree sometimes. — Mitt Romney

Our party [Republicans] has been focused on big business too long. I came through small business. I understand how hard it is to start a small business. That's why everything I'll do is designed to help small businesses grow and add jobs. I want to keep their taxes down on small business. I want regulators to see their job as encouraging small enterprise, not crushing it. — Mitt Romney

I believe abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I believe that since Roe v Wade has been the law for 20 years that we should sustain and support it. And I sustain and support that law and the right of a woman to make that choice. We can believe what we want, but will will not force our beliefs on others on that matter. And you will not see me waivering on that. — Mitt Romney

I have to tell you with regards to global warming that that's something, which, you're right, the scientists haven't entirely resolved, but no question about one thing, it's getting warmer, and a lot of good reasons for us to use less energy, to use it more efficiently and to develop sources here in this country that could allow us to be more independent of foreign sources. — Mitt Romney

I believe the world benefits from American leadership. I believe this next century should be an American century. — Mitt Romney

I fully support Governor Kasich's-I think it's called 'Question 2' in Ohio. Fully support that. In fact, on my website as far back as April I laid out I supported 'Question 2.' ... I support it 110%. — Mitt Romney

That business we started with 10 people has now grown into a great American success story. — Mitt Romney

There are a lot of people who go to Washington or go to their state houses with a personal ambition in mind. — Mitt Romney

So, for instance, let me make this clear: You know I signed a statement. I will not raise taxes on anybody. I don't want to raise taxes on the American people. — Mitt Romney

Government does not create jobs. Government does not create jobs. — Mitt Romney

I very firmly believe that we have to make sure that we enforce our borders, that we have an employment verification system, and that those people who have come here illegally do not get an advantage to become permanent residents, they do not get a special pathway. — Mitt Romney

We're all a nation that believes we're children of the same god. — Mitt Romney

This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nation. — Mitt Romney

I don't believe that bureaucrats in Washington should tell someone whether they can use contraceptives or not. And I don't believe employers should tell someone whether they could have contraceptive care of not. Every woman in America should have access to contraceptives. — Mitt Romney

A leader has the capacity of vision, the ability to see where things are headed before people in general see those things. — Mitt Romney

I don't doubt for a second that Neil Armstrong's spirit is still with us: that unique blend of optimism, humility and the utter confidence that when the world needs someone to do the really big stuff, you need an American. — Mitt Romney

You don't have to be larger than life to be a hero, just larger than yourself. — Mitt Romney

I want to help small businesses grow and thrive. I know how to make that happen. I spent my life in the private sector. I know why jobs come and why they go. — Mitt Romney

This is the America that I love. This is a great people. We can do anything. We can achieve anything. We've got a government that has gotten in the way of the American people. We're going to change that in November. — Mitt Romney

People of different faiths, like yours and mine, sometimes wonder where we can meet in common purpose, when there are so many differences in creed and theology. Surely the answer is that we can meet in service, in shared moral convictions about our nation stemming from a common worldview. — Mitt Romney

I would explain to my children very simply that the defense of liberty is a cause that exacts a very high price in the history of humankind. — Mitt Romney

Mr. President, you were elected to lead. You chose to follow. And now it's time for you to get out of the way. — Mitt Romney

It's not appropriate to joke about the Ku Klux Klan. — Mitt Romney

I think people want to see change, want to see something new and Hillary Clinton is just not that person. — Mitt Romney

When you give a speech you don't go through a laundry list, you talk about the things that you think are important. — Mitt Romney

My red line is Iran may not have a nuclear weapon. It is inappropriate for them to have the capacity to terrorize the world. Iran with a nuclear weapon or with fissile material that can be given to Hezbollah or Hamas or others has the potential of not just destabilizing the Middle East. — Mitt Romney

When we have had in the past programs that have said that the people who come here illegally are going to get to stay illegally for the rest of their life. That's going to only encourage more people to come here illegally. — Mitt Romney

I bathe in statistics. — Mitt Romney

In order to become a success, a business doesn't just have to do well, it has to to better than its competitors. Being number one isn't just about bragging rights. Often it means the difference between prospering and merely hanging on. — Mitt Romney

On one of the most personal matters of our lives, our health care, President Obama would turn decision making over to government bureaucrats. He forced through Obama-care and I will repeal it. — Mitt Romney

I think an amnesty program ... which is what the president (George W. Bush) has proposed ... those are reasonable proposals. — Mitt Romney

Planned Parenthood, we're going to get rid of that. — Mitt Romney

I'm not familiar precisely with what I said, but I'll stand by what I said, whatever it was. — Mitt Romney

We don't know what causes climate change. — Mitt Romney

In every stump speech I give, I speak about the fact that people who dream and achieve enormous success do not make us poorer - they make us better off. — Mitt Romney

Consulting offered me an opportunity to see a lot of different businesses in different regions of the world, to see how textiles were being affected by foreign competition, how technology was changing. — Mitt Romney

Donald Trump creates scapegoats in Muslims and Mexican immigrants. He calls for the use of torture. He calls for killing the innocent children and family members of terrorists. He cheers assaults on protesters. He applauds the prospect of twisting the Constitution to limit First Amendment freedom of the press. This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss. — Mitt Romney

First, by 2020, North America will be energy independent by taking full advantage of our oil and coal and gas and nuclear and renewables. — Mitt Romney

Together we will build an America where hope is a new job with a paycheck, not a faded word on an old bumper sticker. — Mitt Romney

President Obama orders religious organizations to violate their conscience. I will defend religious liberty and overturn regulations that trample on our first freedom. — Mitt Romney

Business and growing jobs is about taking risk, sometimes failing, sometimes succeeding, but always striving. It is about dreams. Usually, it doesn't work out exactly as you might have imagined. Steve Jobs was fired at Apple. He came back and changed the world. — Mitt Romney

I never really called myself pro-choice. — Mitt Romney

In the private sector, there is always innovation. There's always change. There's always improving productivity, and if you're not leading that, you'll be passed and ultimately go out of business. So there's an urgency to constantly update and renew and to rethink your enterprise. — Mitt Romney

Mr. Chairman, delegates. I accept your nomination for President of the United States of America. I do so with humility, deeply moved by the trust you have placed in me. It is a great honor. It is an even greater responsibility. — Mitt Romney

Well you'd see a very dramatic change in the perspective of small businesses, entrepreneurs, middle-size businesses, and perhaps even some large multinationals. They'd say, you know what, America looks like a good place to invest again, a good place to take risk, a good place to hire again. — Mitt Romney

You had your turn madam, let me have mine ... Let me complete. I'm sorry, it's my turn. — Mitt Romney

Government is taking 40 percent of the GDP. And that's at the state, local and federal level. President Obama has taken government spending at the federal level from 20 percent to 25 percent. Look, at some point, you cease being a free economy, and you become a government economy. And we've got to stop that. — Mitt Romney

Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud.His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. — Mitt Romney

That said, your values will not always be the object of public admiration. In fact, the more you live by your beliefs, the more you will endure the censure of the world. — Mitt Romney

Were it my choice, I would not vote for Russia to hold the Winter Olympics or the Summer Olympics. But it's not my choice. — Mitt Romney

We must persuade Iran not t have nuclear weapons through peaceful and diplomatic means. We want a peaceful planet. — Mitt Romney

The people who are having the hard time right now are middle-income Americans. Under the president's policies, middle-income Americans have been buried. They're just being crushed. Middle-income Americans have seen their income come down by $4,300. This is a tax in and of itself. I'll call it the economy tax. It's been crushing. — Mitt Romney

And I hear from time to time people say, hey, wait a second, we have civil liberties we have to worry about. But don't forget the most important civil liberty I expect from my government is my right to be kept alive, and that's what we're going to have to do. — Mitt Romney

I'm a normal person.I have emotions. — Mitt Romney

If I am elected President of these United States, I will work with all my energy and soul to restore that America, to lift our eyes to a better future. That future is our destiny. That future is out there. It is waiting for us. Our children deserve it, our nation depends upon it, the peace and freedom of the world require it. — Mitt Romney

When I become president, it will be about helping the 100 percent. — Mitt Romney

President Obama trusts in the wisdom of government. I put my trust in the ingenuity and creativity and commitment to hard work of the American people. — Mitt Romney

Frankly, if I had paid more than are legally due I don't think I'd be qualified to become president. — Mitt Romney

And that's how it is in America. We look to our communities, our faiths, our families for our joy, our support, in good times and bad. It is both how we live our lives and why we live our lives. — Mitt Romney

The right way to proceed when we face the kind of challenges we face is to pursue the strategy which Ronald Reagan pursued when we faced the challenges of the last century. — Mitt Romney

I am in favor of stem-cell research. I am not in favor of creating new human embryos through cloning. — Mitt Romney

I absolutely believe that those who come here illegally should not be given favoritism or a special route to becoming permanent residents or citizens that's not given to those people that have stayed in line legally. I just think we have to follow the law. I think that's the right course. — Mitt Romney

I've been on Letterman a couple of times. I've been on Leno more than a couple times, and now Letterman hates me because I've been on Leno more than him. They're very jealous of one another, as you know. — Mitt Romney

My view is that we don't know what's causing climate change on this planet. And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us. — Mitt Romney

I'm a family guy. Most important thing in my life by far is my relationship with my wife and my sons, daughters-in-law, and 18 grandchildren. And for me, this is all about them. — Mitt Romney