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Why Sen. Mitt Romney says he couldn't work with Josh Hawley

Utah Republican U.S. Senator stands behind Missouri Republican U.S. Senator Josh Hawley who is speaking at a lectern.
NBC News
In a screen shot from NBC News' live special coverage on Jan. 6, 2020, U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Missouri) calls for an investigation into the presidential election.

In a new political tell-all book, "Romney: A Reckoning," journalist McKay Coppins explores Sen. Mitt Romney's political career, including his frustrations with one of Missouri's U.S. senators, Josh Hawley.

"Romney: A Reckoning" is a candid biography detailing Utah Republican U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney's two-state political career, run for presidency and his relationship with the Republican party.

Over the course of two years, The Atlantic journalist and author McKay Coppins was privy to Romney's inner thoughts on his career highs and lows, and Romney's personal criticism of his senate colleagues.

That includes that Missouri's U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, whom Romney described as the "the smartest person in the room," but expressed frustrations over his objection to the certification of the Biden's presidential election victory.

Coppins described Romney as willing to work with nearly any of his senate colleagues but said, "Josh Hawley was one [Romney] said that he doesn't see a future of working with him on anything because he really was kind of deeply offended by Josh Hawley's role in the objecting to the electoral votes."

Romney: A Reckoning - Featuring McKay Coppins, 6-7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 14 at the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum, 500 U.S. Highway 24, Independence, Missouri 64050. To register, please email the number of requested seats, along with names of attendees, to truman.events@nara.gov

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