Romney disagrees with GOP congressman's conclusion on Trump's 'impeachable conduct'

"My own view is that Justin Amash has reached a different conclusion than I have. I respect him, I think it's a courageous statement," Romney told CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union."

"The American people just aren't there," he added. "The Senate is certainly not there, either."

Romney, who represents Utah and served as the Republican presidential nominee in 2012, said he spent two full days reading special counsel Robert Mueller's report and concluded the investigation did not uncover enough evidence to make an obstruction of justice case against Trump.

"I just don't think that there is the full element that you need to prove an obstruction of justice case," Romney said. "I don't think impeachment is the right way to go."

On Saturday, Amash, a frequent Trump critic, said his thorough review of the Mueller report led him to conclude the President engaged in "impeachable conduct." He was the first Republican to express support for impeachment.

In a series of tweets, Amash also argued Attorney General Bill Barr initially misrepresented Mueller's findings, echoing a top complaint from congressional Democrats.

"Contrary to Barr's portrayal, Mueller's report reveals that President Trump engaged in specific actions and a pattern of behavior that meet the threshold for impeachment," he wrote in one of the messages.

Romney's niece, Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, criticized Amash in a statement, writing, "It's sad to see Congressman Amash parroting the Democrats' talking points on Russia."

CNN's Devan Cole and Eli Watkins contributed to this report.

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