Trump suggests Mitt Romney is a 'flake' in response to scathing op-ed: 'I won big and he didn’t'

Hours after Mitt Romney criticised Mr Trump in an op-ed, the president hit back with a tweet

In this file photo taken on March 13, 2017 US President Donald Trump attends a meeting about healthcare (AFP/Getty)

Donald Trump has asked whether Mitt Romney is a 'flake' after the former Republican presidential candidate and incoming Utah senator criticised him in a scathing op-ed.

In an article for The Washington Post, Mr Romney said the US president’s “words and actions have caused dismay around the world," and said Mr Trump has not “risen to the mantle of the office”.

In a tweet on Wednesday morning, Mr Trump hit back. "Here we go with Mitt Romney, but so fast! Question will be, is he a Flake? I hope not," he wrote. "Would much prefer that Mitt focus on Border Security and so many other things where he can be helpful. I won big, and he didn’t. He should be happy for all Republicans. Be a TEAM player & WIN!"

While responding to criticism with an insult is a typical move for Mr Trump, he exercised more restraint than he has in previous clashes with the establishment Republican.

During Mr Trump’s 2016 election campaign, Mr Romney described him as a “fraud”, who was “playing the American public for suckers”. Mr Trump responded by saying Mr Romney had “choked like a dog” in his 2012 election effort which he lost to Barack Obama.

Since then, a fragile peace appeared to have been struck between the two. Following his 2016 victory, Mr Trump reportedly considered asking Mr Romney to be his secretary of state. In February, Mr Trump endorsed Mr Romney’s run for a senate seat for Utah, which was ultimately successful.

Mr Romney's article may be an attempt to establish himself as an independently minded Republican who will not be a slavish supporter of the president, as he prepares to be sworn in on Thursday.

He said he will "speak out against significant statements or actions that are divisive, racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, dishonest or destructive to democratic institutions.”

In the article, he also cited statistics showing Mr Trump's unpopularity abroad, noting that during Mr Obama's presidency, "84 per cent of people in Germany, Britain, France, Canada and Sweden believed the American president would ‘do the right thing in world affairs’. One year later that had fallen to 16 per cent.”

Mr Romney has previously taken the side of the media, which has been repeatedly attacked by a president who popularised the term 'fake news'.

“The media is essential to our republic, to our freedom, to the cause of freedom abroad, and to our national security. It is very much our friend,” Mr Romney wrote in an essay in November.

GOP chairman Ronna McDaniel sided with Mr Trump on Wednesday morning, tweeting: "POTUS is attacked and obstructed by the MSM media and Democrats 24/7. For an incoming Republican freshman senator to attack Donald Trump as their first act feeds into what the Democrats and media want and is disappointing and unproductive."