--- title: 2016 Election: Mitt Romney Won't Attend Steve King Iowa Freedom Summit description: The host has made controversial views on immigration, an issue that hobbled Romney in 2012 canonical: https://time.com/3678478/mitt-romney-steve-king-iowa-freedom-summit/ author: Zeke Miller article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-01-22T16:34:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:43:28.373Z article:section: Politics og:title: Romney Won't Attend Major Iowa Event og:description: The host has made controversial views on immigration og:url: https://time.com/3678478/mitt-romney-steve-king-iowa-freedom-summit/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8e126df6f526d7c6/69877b430b72e3191f6dd46e/romney.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3500 og:image:height: 1969 og:image:alt: Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at the Republican National Convention winter meetings in San Diego og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Romney Won't Attend Major Iowa Event twitter:description: The host has made controversial views on immigration twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8e126df6f526d7c6/69877b430b72e3191f6dd46e/romney.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Romney Won't Attend Major Iowa Event > Sponsored content. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Jan 22, 2015 4:34 PM UTC  Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at the Republican National Committee winter meetings in San Diego on Jan. 16, 2015. Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at the Republican National Committee winter meetings in San Diego on Jan. 16, 2015. Mike Blake—Reuters by [Zeke Miller](https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/) ## Zeke Miller Jan 22, 2015 4:34 PM UTC Mitt Romney will not attend a Saturday gathering of Republican presidential candidates hosted by a congressman controversial for his statements on immigrants, according to a person familiar with his plans. The person cited previously scheduled family arrangements as keeping Romney, who is “seriously considering” a third White House campaign in 2016, from attending the Des Moines event hosted by Iowa Rep. Steve King. ### Growing Up Romney: Mitt's Early World ![With 'Mitt,' 10, youngest of Romney children, \[George Romney\] inspects house at Bloomfield Hills which he and his wife designed.](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf1f077da60f0b2f0/69877a6e0b72e3c5e16dd2ec/150116-mitt-romney-01.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp) Caption from LIFE. With 'Mitt,' 10, youngest of Romney children, \[George Romney\] inspects house at Bloomfield Hills which he and his wife designed. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  George Romney with his son, Mitt, 1958. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  George Romney with his son, Mitt, playing with electric trains, 1958. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  George Romney with his son, Mitt, on a frosty golf course, 1958. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  George Romney with his son, Mitt, on a frosty golf course, 1958. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. From airport to Milwaukee \[auto\] body plant Romney takes catnap in Rambler station wagon built-in bed, with briefcase as pillow. Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. Romney family: Mitt, wife Lenore, son Scott, 16, and daughter Jane, 19, at piano, join together in a hymn. 'The biggest sale I ever made,' Romney said, 'was convincing Lenore to marry me. During our courtship she was offered $50,000 by Paramount to sign a five-year movie contract." Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. On desk George Romney keeps prehistoric animals to remind him of favorite 'big-car' analogy. 'Some dinosaurs had a 70-foot wheelbase and huge fuel consumption. The principal factor in their extinction was the fact that they got so big they were unable to live.' Grey Villet—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  George and Lenore Romney, 1962 Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. After Sunday services the Romneys crowd onto a sofa in living room. Son Mitt and married daughters Jane and Lynn are at the rear. From left, grandchildren are Gregory (held by Lenore), Douglas, Susan, Brett and Jody. Another son, Scott, is in England with a mission group. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  George Romney and grandchildren, 1962 Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  George Romney and grandchildren, 1962 Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. A Detroit Mormon leader of the church in Michigan area, Romney sits behind the pulpit with fellow dignitaries in church in Bloomfield Hills at Sunday services at which he officiates. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  George Romney officiates during a Mormon service, Michigan, 1962. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Caption from LIFE. At end of a long day on the new state constitution -- and after a quick change to pajamas -- Romney falls asleep on fold-back seat of his car as the chauffeur begins the trip back to Bloomfield Hills. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Michigan governor George Romney on the golf course, 1963. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Michigan governor George Romney and wife Lenore (right), November 1963. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Lenore Romney, wife of Michigan governor George Romney, East Lansing, Mich., 1963. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Michigan governor George Romney (center) and family, November 1963\. Mitt Romney is seated, on the left. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Michigan governor George Romney (left) and family, November 1963. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Michigan governor George Romney at home, 1963. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Mitt Romney places a birthday cake before his mother, Lenore, in November 1963. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images  Michigan governor George Romney (seated on couch at right) with family, November 1963\. Mitt Romney is seated at left. Francis Miller—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images The Iowa Freedom Summit will include Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, among other Republican hopefuls and conservative leaders. Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin will also attend. Romney was invited by organizers when he told donors earlier this month he was considering another bid for the White House. Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush also declined the event “due to a scheduling conflict,” according to an aide. King’s anti-immigration position put him in the spotlight once again this week when in a tweet he called a State of the Union guest of First Lady Michelle Obama “a deportable” because she was brought to the United States illegally as a child. ### See the 2016 Candidates Looking Very Presidential  Sen. Ted Cruz is surrounded by stars and stripes at the 2014 Values Voter Summit in Washington, D.C. on September 26, 2014. Mark Peterson—Redux  Hillary Clinton Hillary Clinton gazes pensively into the distance at Iowa Senator Tom Harken'a annual Steak Fry in Indianola, Iowa on September 14, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis for TIME  Jeb Bush Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flashes a power watch before giving his keynote address at the National Summit on Education Reform in Washington on Nov. 20, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Bernie Sanders waves to supporters after officially announcing his candidacy for the U.S. presidency during an event at Waterfront Park in Burlington, Vermont, on May 26, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Chris Christie New Jersey Governor Chris Christie strikes a presidential power stance at the ceremony for the opening of the 206 bypass in Hillsborough, New Jersey on October 28, 2013. Mark Peterson—Redux  Former Hewlett-Packard Co Chief Executive Officer Carly Fiorina listens to her introduction from the side of the stage at the Freedom Summit in Des Moines, Iowa on Jan. 24, 2015. Jim Young—Reuters  Rand Paul Sen. Rand Paul works a crowd during a campaign stop on October 24, 2014 in McDonough, Georgia. Jessica McGowan—Getty Images  Rick Perry Texas Gov. Rick Perry looks powerfully patriotic during the National Anthem before an NCAA college football game on Nov. 27, 2014, in College Station, Texas. David J. Phillip—AP  Bobby Jindal Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal looks to the future during The Family Leadership Summit on Aug. 9, 2014, in Ames, Iowa. Charlie Neibergall—AP  Martin O'Malley Maryland Governor Martin OíMalley ponders decorating ideas in front of his possible future home on CBS's Face the Nation on Feb. 23, 2014. Chris Usher—AP  Marco Rubio Sen. Marco Rubio looks determined the morning after the State of the Union address in Washington, D.C. on January 29, 2014. Melissa Golden—Redux  Ben CarsonBen Carson at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference on March 8, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Jim Webb Retiring Sen. Jim Webb imitates the presidential wave during a rally in Virginia Beach, Va. on Sept. 27, 2012. Steve Helber—AP  John Kasich Ohio Gov. John Kasich practices his presidential victory pose at the Ohio Republican Party celebration on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2014, in Columbus, Ohio. Tony Dejak—AP  Rick Santorum Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum looks resolute at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 7, 2014. Brooks Kraft—Corbis  Scott Walker Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker practices the presidential point on March 3, 2014 in Milwaukee. Jeffrey Phelps—AP  Mike Huckabee Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee fine-tunes his presidential oratory at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md. on March 7, 2014. Susan Walsh—AP  Lincoln Chafee, Former Rhode Island Governor, poses for a selfie with a student after announcing he will seek the Democratic nomination for president in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Lindsey Graham Lindsey Graham announced his plans to join the 2016 presidential race. Alex Wong—Getty Images  George Pataki Former New York governor George Pataki listens to a question at the First in the Nation Republican Leadership Conference in Nashua, New Hampshire, in this April 17, 2015 file photo. Brian Snyder—Reuters During the 2012 primary debates, Romney alienated Hispanic voters by calling on those in the U.S. illegally to engage in “self-deportation.” “The largest strategic error was not investing sufficiently, particularly in Hispanic TV and Hispanic outreach to help Hispanic voters understand that ours is the party of opportunity,” Romney [told CNN](http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/09/27/hispanic-outreach-mitt-romneys-largest-error-from-2012/) of his failed campaign in 2013. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3678478/mitt-romney-steve-king-iowa-freedom-summit/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3678478/mitt-romney-steve-king-iowa-freedom-summit/"},"headline":"Romney Won't Attend Major Iowa Event","datePublished":"2015-01-22T16:34:15.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-19T07:43:28.373Z","description":"The host has made controversial views on immigration, an issue that hobbled Romney in 2012","url":"https://time.com/3678478/mitt-romney-steve-king-iowa-freedom-summit/","keywords":["2016 Election","2016 Election","mitt romney"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8e126df6f526d7c6/69877b430b72e3191f6dd46e/romney.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Zeke Miller","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/zeke-j-miller/"}],"articleSection":"Politics","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8e126df6f526d7c6/69877b430b72e3191f6dd46e/romney.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at the Republican National Convention winter meetings in San Diego","caption":"Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney speaks at the Republican National Convention winter meetings in San Diego","creditText":"Mike Blake—Reuters","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/politics/","name":"Politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/2016-election/","name":"2016 Election"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3678478/mitt-romney-steve-king-iowa-freedom-summit/","name":"Romney Won't Attend Major Iowa Event"}}]}] ```