You just never know.
Maybe the Trump team caught wind of something like that, and let him know he was on the edge of a cliff.
Mitt is a whole lot dumber than he looks on the surface > IMO.
I think Mr Mitt is playing the fence. He has to know he is despised by conservatives. So with that in mind he has to play democrat or the McCain ploy, the so called Mavrick so he gets dem votes and Republicans of the squish variety. Apparently there are sufficient of both in UT to seal the deal. True conservatives are but twenty percent of Republican’s or less. So the masses will buy anything with a bit of name recognition. That and a few democrats and voila’ I’m your Senator and I’m getting lots of press. If played just right, I might even get reelected in four years.