Pierre Delecto — Split image of Mitt Romney next to a version of himself wearing a red beret and fake mustache

Pierre Delecto

2019catchphrasedeclining

Published November 3, 2026

Pierre Delecto is the pseudonymous Twitter handle Senator Mitt Romney secretly used from 2015 to lurk online and quietly defend himself against critics. His cover was blown on October 20, 2019 after an Atlantic profile hinted at a hidden account, Slate reporter Ashley Feinberg traced it to @qaws9876, and Romney confirmed it with 'c'est moi.' The oddly suave fake name turned into a same-day Twitter joke, with users riffing on its resemblance to the legal Latin phrase 'in pari delicto.'

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Overview

Under the Pierre Delecto handle, Romney clapped back at reporters, corrected the record on his own voting history, and told pundits to 'take a breath' when he felt coverage went too hard on him1. Posts stayed brief and defensive rather than confrontational, which fit his public image as a conflicted Republican voice during the first Trump impeachment inquiry2.

After the reveal, the joke centered on the name itself. Users riffed on how a sitting U.S. senator picked a handle that sounded like a French Casanova or a Harlequin-novel love interest3. Twitter speculation also tied it to 'in pari delicto,' a legal Latin term for two parties being equally at fault, a reading that fit Romney's law-school background3.

Origin & Background

Platform
Twitter (2015 account creation) / The Atlantic and Slate (2019 reveal)
Creator
Mitt Romney
Date
2019

Pierre Delecto's first tweet went up on December 27, 2015, when @qaws9876 replied to a Fox News post about the New Hampshire presidential primary with 'why isn't your NH poll up on your website?'3. The account stayed quiet for stretches, surfacing to defend Romney in the third person. On May 9, 2019, Pierre Delecto added to a Steven Dennis thread about Senate Intelligence Chairman Richard Burr, noting that Romney had told the Post he had confidence in Burr1.

The persona was outed on October 20, 2019 after McKay Coppins published 'The Liberation of Mitt Romney' in The Atlantic, in which Romney admitted to running a 'lurker' account that followed 668 people to track political chatter2. Hours later, Slate's Ashley Feinberg used clues from the interview, especially Romney's known relatives, to trace the account to @qaws9876, after which The Atlantic received a one-line 'c'est moi' confirmation from the senator1.

How It Spread

Within hours of the Slate scoop, Pierre Delecto blew up on Twitter. Reactions praised Ashley Feinberg's reporting and homed in on the goofy pseudonym rather than the political content, with posters saying people on both sides of the aisle could admit the fake name was objectively great3.

Speculation about the name's origin followed quickly. One running theory tied it to 'in pari delicto,' a Latin legal doctrine covering cases where both parties are equally at fault3. Other posters joked about Pierre Delecto as a nickname a lawyer might coin, or as the villain of a bodice-ripper novel3.

Mainstream news picked up the story that same day, with Slate's write-up driving most of the traffic1. Coverage treated the reveal as a lighter counterpoint to Romney's otherwise serious Atlantic profile about standing apart from Trump during the impeachment fight2.

Frequently Asked Questions