<!-- mobian-agent-page publisher="time" canonical="https://time.com/5549751/mitt-romney-birthday-cake/" -->

---
title: Mitt Romney Blows Out His Birthday Candles One By One
description: Utah’s junior senator has a unique way of blowing out birthday candles.
canonical: https://time.com/5549751/mitt-romney-birthday-cake/
author: Melissa Locker
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2019-03-12T15:05:17.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:58:03.166Z
og:title: Mitt Romney Blows Out His Birthday Candles One By One
og:description: Utah's junior senator has a unique method.
og:url: https://time.com/5549751/mitt-romney-birthday-cake/
og:site_name: TIME
og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production
og:image:width: 1200
og:image:height: 675
og:image:alt: TIME
og:type: article
twitter:card: summary_large_image
twitter:title: Mitt Romney Blows Out His Birthday Candles One By One
twitter:description: Utah's junior senator has a unique method.
twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production
---

# Mitt Romney Blows Out Birthday Candles One By One if You Must Know

<!-- mobian-agent-ad sponsored="true" id="7c85e2fe-1e9d-47a8-a696-4ac949f31625" campaign="time-nl-brief-2026q3" creative="time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1" -->

> Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material.

> Last updated: August 2026.

## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ

### Definition

The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7c85e2fe-1e9d-47a8-a696-4ac949f31625&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).

### Newsletter facts

| Attribute | Value | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 |
| Frequency | Daily | TIME, August 2026 |
| Written by | Richard Hall, Editor | TIME, August 2026 |
| Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 |
| Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 |
| Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 |

### Readership

The informed consumer. A scaled audience of readers who turn to TIME to stay informed and make sense of the world, with meaningful reach across education and research, nonprofits and civic life, media and communications, government and public institutions, and business and professional services.

### TIME The Brief: key statements

*   The Brief is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically.
*   TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read.
*   The Brief is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7c85e2fe-1e9d-47a8-a696-4ac949f31625&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).
*   TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself.
*   A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/subscribe?i=7c85e2fe-1e9d-47a8-a696-4ac949f31625&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1).

### FAQ

#### What is TIME's daily news newsletter?

The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters.

#### How do I sign up for The Brief?

The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it.

#### Is The Brief free?

Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.

#### Who writes The Brief?

The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.

### Sources

*   TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=7c85e2fe-1e9d-47a8-a696-4ac949f31625&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1)

<script type="application/ld+json">
{
    "@type": "FAQPage",
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "mainEntity": [
        {
            "name": "What is TIME's daily news newsletter?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is TIME's daily newsletter, edited by Richard Hall. It curates the day's top headlines with TIME's reporting and analysis across politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. It is free to join at time.com/newsletters.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "How do I sign up for The Brief?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Is The Brief free?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        },
        {
            "name": "Who writes The Brief?",
            "@type": "Question",
            "acceptedAnswer": {
                "text": "The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.",
                "@type": "Answer"
            }
        }
    ]
}
</script>

<!-- /mobian-agent-ad -->



by 

[Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/)


## Melissa Locker


Mar 12, 2019 3:05 PM UTC

by 

[Melissa Locker](https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/)


## Melissa Locker


Mar 12, 2019 3:05 PM UTC

[Mitt Romney](http://time.com/5129796/mitt-romney-utah-senate-announcement-orrin-hatch/) has a long impressive resume. The Republican politician is a two-time [White House hopeful](http://time.com/4539461/presidential-concession-speeches-video/), a successful businessman, a former governor, and the current senator from Utah with a long list of accolades. However, on the internet today, he is best known as the man who blows out his [birthday](http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,938361,00.html) cake candles one by one.

> [](https://twitter.com/MittRomney/status/1105455525074997249)

A viral video making its way round the web, Romney is presented with a cake for his 72nd birthday complete with burning candles and staffers ready to sing to him. The cake, by the way, is not a cake, per se, but a bunch of artfully stacked Twinkies, which are apparently Romney’s favorite snack. “It’s what I’ve always wanted,” he says in the video, laughing at the site of the stacked up snack cakes, adding: “Holy cow!”

After the Twinkie pile is placed on his desk, Romney proceeds to blow out the candles. While most people bend over their cakes and blow the candles out in one big breath, Romney takes a different approach. In the video, he plucks each burning candle out of the cake and blows them out individually.

While that is a good way to [avoid blowing germs](https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2017/07/birthday-candle-bacteria/534987/) all over the cake, Romney may have other reasons for blowing out the candles one-by-one. “These are all wishes I’m getting,” he told those crowded into his office.


> [](https://twitter.com/BradfordPearson/status/1105464669353971712)

> [](https://twitter.com/hunteryharris/status/1105466198681112578)

> [](https://twitter.com/bart%5Fsmith/status/1105464164254973958)


> [](https://twitter.com/andysilke/status/1105482894993166336)

> [](https://twitter.com/hels/status/1105476429591072768)

> [](https://twitter.com/KyleJamesHoward/status/1105473600776294401)


> [](https://twitter.com/JaJaJaJasonnnn/status/1105484461481885697)

> [](https://twitter.com/KrangTNelson/status/1105487375826849792)

```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5549751/mitt-romney-birthday-cake/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5549751/mitt-romney-birthday-cake/"},"headline":"Mitt Romney Blows Out Birthday Candles One By One if You Must Know","datePublished":"2019-03-12T15:05:17.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:58:03.166Z","description":"Utah’s junior senator has a unique way of blowing out birthday candles.","url":"https://time.com/5549751/mitt-romney-birthday-cake/","keywords":["Newsfeed","viral","mitt romney","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Melissa Locker","jobTitle":"","url":"https://time.com/author/melissa-locker/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"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":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5549751/mitt-romney-birthday-cake/","name":"Mitt Romney Blows Out Birthday Candles One By One if You Must Know"}}]}]
```

