Mitt Romney Says a Once-Coveted Donald Trump Endorsement Is Now a 'Kiss of Death'

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney isn't holding back when it comes to speaking out against former President Donald Trump, who announced his 2024 bid for the White House last month.

The Republican Senator from Utah said it was "not rocket science" why so many Trump-supported candidates failed during the most recent election, noting that his support was the "kiss of death" for the general election at The Washington Post forum on climate change held Thursday.

"The difference between Trump's nominees and others is not their policy, but whether they subscribe to the president's lie about the 2020 election," Romney said, adding, "If we focus on obsession with his loss, I think we're going to get stuck with candidates who lose."

RELATED: Mitt Romney: U.S. Is a 'Nation in Denial' and the Return of Donald Trump Would 'Feed the Sickness'

While Romney admitted Trump still has pull in the Republican Party, especially in the primary elections, the Utahn hasn't been swayed, saying he would "absolutely not" support him if he's the party's nominee, predicting he will lose.

"Look, I voted to remove him from office — twice," Romney said, referring to Trump's two impeachment trials.

He added, "It's not just because he loses. It's also [that] he's simply not a person who ought to have the reins of the government of the United States."

RELATED: Mitt Romney Receives JFK Profile in Courage Award for Voting to Convict Trump

"I heard Bob Gates, former secretary of state and secretary of defense, speak at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and he was asked what's the No. 1 quality you'd think is critical for President of the United States, and he said 'to be willing to recognize that you're not the smartest person in the room, and to be willing to listen to others.' That's not one of the qualities Trump has in abundance."

He continued, "I hope we find someone in my party who has those qualities and other qualities to lead America to a better future."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

This isn't the first time Romney came out swinging at Trump during the past week.

Romney called Trump one of his favorite insults — RINO, which stands for "Republican in Name Only" — after the 45th president suggested terminating the U.S. Constitution.

"Well, the Republican Party is the Constitution party, so when he calls to suspend the Constitution, he goes from being MAGA to being RINO."

Last month, Romney called Trump's dinner with white supremacist Nick Fuentes and Kanye West "disgusting," NBC News reported.

"I think it has been clear that there is no bottom to the degree in which President Trump will degrade himself and the nation."