Wake Forest welcomed statesman, politician and businessman Mitt Romney to Wait Chapel on Nov. 6 for the second Face to Face Speaker Forum of the 2025-2026 season.
“Events like this add so much to campus life as they bring new perspectives and spark important conversations,” said student government member and sophomore Kadyn Peery. “Hearing directly from leaders with real-world experience helps students think about leadership, integrity and service in new ways, allowing us to connect what we’re learning in the classroom to broader ideas about community and leadership.”
Romney served as governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and ran as the Republican candidate in the 2012 presidential election. He also represented Utah in the Senate from 2019 to 2025, during which time he broke rank with his party as the only Republican senator voting to convict Donald Trump during the president’s first impeachment trial.
Prior to his political career, Romney worked in business. He co-founded Bain Capital, an investment-focused consulting firm, and first gained prominence as the CEO of the Salt Lake City Organizing Committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Student-led event
The first event of the evening was a student-led forum moderated by Leadership & Character Scholars Amaya Williams and Alfredo Diaz.
“I was very excited to talk to Senator Romney,” said Williams, moderator and Student Body President. “College is one of the few spaces where we are encouraged to think deeply and question things. If we cannot hold open conversation here, it becomes even harder outside of campus. I think this discussion with Romney allowed us to create a space where people feel safe asking hard questions.”
During the student-led conversation, Romney discussed how his family and faith led him through decisions and helped him change career paths multiple times.
“When I consider my life’s purpose, I see the guiding star that led me, and that was the North Star, leading me through the teachings of Jesus Christ,” Romney said.
Romney also addressed questions related to his vote to convict President Donald Trump during his 2020 Impeachment Trial, as well as increasing national political polarization.
“I knew I would not want to vote guilty,” Romney said. “I understood the consequences of voting against my own party, causing possible physical harm, arguments among the Senate, and less invitations to the White House for events, but I could live with these knowing I was following my conscience.”
Romney believes that thoughtful and collaborative leaders, especially in younger generations, will play a crucial role in shaping the nation’s future.
“Freedom is a powerful elixir, and free people pursuing their dreams is an extraordinarily powerful source that will help enact policies and create leaders that move our country forward,” Romney said.
Main forum
A second forum was open to the broader community the same evening. The event was moderated by Frank Bruni, a New York Times columnist and Duke University professor.
In this event, Romney focused more on political topics.
“We need someone… to stand up and lead at a time of great challenge,” Romney said in his address to a packed Wait Chapel, naming the rise of AI, rivalry with China, global warming and the national debt as pressing crises.
Romney denounced both Republican and Democratic politicians during the event, denouncing “identity politics,” selfish motivations of his former colleagues in the Senate and division within and between political parties. Additionally, he criticized Republicans for platforming protectionist trade policies and Democrats for advocating for transgender rights and defunding police.
“I’m a Republican, I’m a Democrat, or whatever I have to be,” Romney said. “I consider myself a classic Republican, a classic conservative. I believe in the principles that were espoused in the early days of my party.”
In reflecting on his political career, Romney argued that politicians must examine their motivations for pursuing public service and stay true to their moral convictions.
“By and large, our representatives are a reflection of us, and so what it means is that we need to be people of character and integrity,” Romney said. “We need to insist on people who have those qualities that we think America needs.”
He continued: “I wasn’t running in the [2012 presidential] election because, you know, that’s how I got my jollies. I was running to try and help people, and if people wanted someone else, that’s fine. I got beat by Barack Obama. He’s a good man. I think I could have done a better job than him– that’s why I ran.”
Though admitting with a laugh that he enjoyed running for president, Romney, 78, said he was “too old” to continue holding public office, instead resting his hopes on younger leaders.
“My generation of baby boomers… I’m afraid we may go out in history as the worst generation,” Romney said. “We were given everything, and what have we done with it? In the time I got left, I want to encourage the rising generation… There’s huge expectations for them to preserve democracy, to create opportunities that will propel them and the coming generations, and they need to step up.”
