WASHINGTON — Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney thinks “Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud” and that he’s “playing the American public for suckers,” according to prepared remarks provided by Romney to CNN.
Romney, the party’s nominee in 2012, will urge Americans “to make the right choices” and not support the GOP front runner during a speech he’ll give today at 11:30 a.m. ET at the University of Utah’s Hinckley Institute of Politics Forum.
LAS VEGAS, NV – FEBRUARY 02: (L-R) Ann Romney, Donald Trump and Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, acknowledge guests during a news conference held by Trump to endorse Mitt Romney for president at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas February 2, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Romney came in first in the Florida primary on January 31 and is looking ahead to Nevada’s caucus on February 4. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Cruz, Rubio and Kasich
With Dr. Ben Carson bowing out of tonight’s Republican presidential debate, Romney will promote the remaining candidates. According to the former Massachusetts governor, “the only serious policy proposals that deal with the broad range of national challenges we confront have come from Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio and John Kasich.”
Romney is expected to remark on some what-ifs about Trump becoming president. “His domestic policies would lead to recession. His foreign policies would make America and the world less safe. He has neither the temperament nor the judgment to be president,” Romney is expected to say.
Romney will also touch on a “twisted example of evil trumping good: “Trump’s claims that he admires Russian President Vladimir Putin while calling “George W. Bush a liar.”
It is clear that Romney thinks a Trump nomination is troublesome for both the Republican Party and the country.
In the wake of Super Tuesday results, Romney will also address what many are presuming the general election will look like: Hillary Clinton vs. Trump.
Clinton gets blasted, too
Pointing to the polls, Romney believes that the current GOP frontrunner “relishes any poll that reflects what he thinks of himself.” General election polls, however, say “that he will lose to Hillary Clinton.” According to Romney, nominating Trump to represent the Republican Party will only secure Clinton’s victory in November.
Romney deems Clinton “untrustworthy” and “dishonest.” He will tout Clinton’s performance as secretary of state and argue that she “compromised our national secrets.”
The 2012 nominee is not expected to make any other announcements in his speech today. Romney “understand(s) the anger Americans feel today” but hopes that such anger is “transformed into energy directed for good.”
