Mitt Romney was a staunch, aggressive NeverTrump, right up until he needed President Trump's endorsement when he ran for senator in Utah in 2018.  Despite Mitt's nastiness, Trump gracefully gave him that endorsement.  Mitt responded like the scorpion he is, immediately turning around and stinging Trump during the impeachment process.

The first article of impeachment against Trump was for the hitherto unknown wrongdoing called "abuse of power."  It represents no legal standard, and the proceedings in the House made it clear that "abuse of power" really meant that Trump was conducting foreign policy in a way that offended Democrats.  Investigating criminal wrongdoing by a past vice president is not an impeachable offense, even if it involves wrongdoing in a foreign country.  Still, that wasn't enough for Mitt.

Nor did it matter to Mitt that, just a week ago, he insisted that there was not enough evidence to convict Trump unless he was able to hear from additional witnesses, especially Mitt's partner in spitefulness, John Bolton.

"I, of course, will make a final decision on witnesses after we've heard from not only the prosecution, but also the defense," Romney told reporters. "But I think at this stage, it's pretty fair to say that John Bolton has a relevant testimony to provide to those of us who are sitting in impartial justice."

Impartial?  Really?  Romney was champing at the bit to remove Trump from office, and that's precisely what he did.  Romney was the only Republican to side with the Democrats in the impeachment hearings, voting to convict Trump as to the first article of impeachment.

Trump responded with predictable and appropriate savagery:

pic.twitter.com/FIg1SYtJcy

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 5, 2020

Had failed presidential candidate @MittRomney devoted the same energy and anger to defeating a faltering Barack Obama as he sanctimoniously does to me, he could have won the election. Read the Transcripts!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 6, 2020

It wasn't just Trump who was disgusted with Mitt's conduct, though.  The Utah GOP specifically disavowed what Mitt did:

The Utah Republican Party is pleased to see President Trump completely acquitted by the United States Senate. We appreciate the service rendered to our state by Utah’s two senators. As a party, we strongly disagree with the vote cast today by Senator Romney.

— UtahGOP (@UtahGOP) February 5, 2020

We stand firmly behind our President, whose policies have created unprecedented levels of American prosperity. The impeachment effort has served only to distract America from the serious issues we face, and in November voters will hold Democrats accountable for this distraction.

— UtahGOP (@UtahGOP) February 5, 2020

Unexpectedly, Mitt's fellow Utah Senator, Mike Lee, who has not always been a fan of President Trump, also rebuked Mitt's conduct.  Lee did not name names, but it was manifest that he was speaking to Mitt and calling him "wrong.  Very wrong."

Congratulations @realDonaldTrump. I’m looking forward to your next five years in office. Those who voted to remove you were wrong. Very wrong.

— Mike Lee (@SenMikeLee) February 5, 2020

Rick Gorka, who was Mitt's press secretary during the 2012 presidential campaign that Mitt lost, said Mitt is suffering from "bitterness and jealousy."  Mitt knows he'll always be an also-ran, while Trump, another New York businessman, won:

I believe Mitt Romney is motivated by bitterness and jealously that @realDonaldTrump accomplished what he has failed to do multiple times. His desire to pander to the chattering class has gotten the best of him...again.

— Rick Gorka (@Rick_Gorka) February 5, 2020

These are the same people that hated Mitt in 2012 and they will hate him again when they are done with him. It is sad to see that Mitt has not learned the lessons from 2012. Now he has betrayed his Party and millions of voters.

— Rick Gorka (@Rick_Gorka) February 5, 2020

Donald Trump, Jr. echoed this belief — namely, that Mitt's embittered because he failed while Trump won:

Mitt Romney is not ‘principled’ — and he never has been https://t.co/S3VOKDROlP

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 6, 2020

Naturally, there are deeper theories circulating.  It's a fact that one of Romney's top advisers during his presidential run was on Burisma's board along with Hunter Biden:

According to web archives, top Mitt Romney adviser Joseph Cofer Black, who publicly goes by "Cofer Black," joined Burisma's board of directors while Hunter Biden was also serving on the board.

According to The New Yorker, Hunter joined Burisma's board in April of 2014 and remained on it until he declined to renew his position this past May. Meanwhile, according to Burisma's website, Black was appointed in February of 2017 and continues to serve on its board. The timelines would indicate that Black and Biden worked together at Burisma, and indeed, web archives from late 2017 show Black and Biden listed simultaneously on the board.

The operative theory is that Romney has somehow implicated himself in Ukrainian business dealings and is taking out insurance against being investigated.  That is, from here on out, if he's investigated, he can contend that it's payback for his vote rather than a legitimate investigation.

We're disinclined to believe that Romney was motivated by anything that complicated.  It's enough to know that he's a disloyal, self-centered, petty man who will always put himself ahead of country.