Thread: Romney calls Trump ‘a phony, a fraud’; Trump calls Romney ‘failed candidate’

Open Warfare: Romney calls Trump ‘a phony, a fraud’; Trump calls Romney ‘failed candidate’

Published March 03, 2016 FoxNews.com


NOW PLAYINGMitt Romney set to make major speech in Utah
Mitt Romney plans to launch a broadside against Donald Trump’s surging campaign on Thursday, calling the man who wishes to succeed him as the GOP’s presidential nominee a “phony” and a “fraud” who is playing Americans for “suckers.”

The 2016 front-runner already is firing back, calling Romney a "failed candidate" who begged him for his endorsement when he ran four years ago. Trump indeed endorsed Romney in the 2012 race.

Romney plans to deliver his speech at 11:30 a.m. ET at the University of Utah. In prepared remarks, the party’s 2012 presidential nominee issued a stark warning that Trump’s policies would lead to recession and “make America and the world less safe.”

He says the “only serious policy proposals” for the country are coming from the other Republican candidates on the field.

“I understand the anger Americans feel today,” Romney plans to say, but adds: “Here's what I know.

Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He's playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat.”

Romney also claims Trump, if nominated, would enable Hillary Clinton to be elected president.

The speech comes ahead of the Fox News Republican primary debate Thursday night at 9 p.m. ET in Detroit, the candidates' first showdown since Super Tuesday.

Trump swiftly responded to the ex-GOP nominee, taking to Twitter to claim he’s the “only one who can beat Hillary Clinton” and recalling Romney’s record in the presidential elections so far.

“I am not a Mitt Romney, who doesn't know how to win,” Trump tweeted.

He added: “Failed candidate Mitt Romney,who ran one of the worst races in presidential history,is working with the establishment to bury a big ‘R’ win!”

And speaking on MSNBC, Trump once again would not rule out mounting an independent bid.

The address Thursday amounts to an astonishing full-court press by Romney to stop Trump from winning the party’s nomination. Until now, Romney has mostly criticized Trump via Twitter and media interviews, but this is his most robust effort yet to rally the party and primary voters against the GOP front-runner.

In his prepared remarks, Romney says Trump “has neither the temperament nor the judgment to be president.”

There were no signs that Romney would either endorse a candidate or jump into the race himself.

Romney considered another White House run at the beginning of 2015 before deciding against the move, reportedly after being out-raised by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush -- who has since suspended his campaign.

Despite his decision not to run, there has been widespread media speculation that he could be tempted back into the race in the case of a contested Republican convention as a last gasp way to derail Trump.

The speech comes after Trump racked up a string of Super Tuesday wins, building a wide -- though not insurmountable -- delegate lead over closest rivals Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

The former Massachusetts governor has become increasingly vocal in his opposition to the business mogul.

Last week, Romney told Fox News’ Neil Cavuto that he believes there may be a “bombshell” in Trump’s tax returns, and called for Trump to release his returns as soon as possible.

He later criticized Trump for not immediately disavowing the support of former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke.

Although Trump did later disavow Duke, Romney called his response “disqualifying and disgusting.”

Trump responded to Romney with barbs of his own, calling him "one of the dumbest and worst candidates in the history of Republican politics."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016...candidate.html

Donald Trump endorses Mitt Romney (2012)

Here’s What Mitt Romney Said About Donald Trump in 2012

• Lily Rothman @lilyrothman

11:13 AM ET

Ethan Miller—Getty Images

Donald Trump endorses Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney in Las Vegas on Feb. 2, 2012.As Romney prepares to take aim at Trump, the tables have turned

When former Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney speaks on Thursday on the topic of Donald Trump, his message will be pretty much the opposite of an endorsement: according to advance reports, he’ll say that Trump is a “fraud” who is “playing the American public for suckers.”

That’s a far cry from what Romney said about Trump back in February of 2012.

At that point, Trump—who had previously made waves by questioning President Obama’s citizenship and publicly toyed with the idea of a run for president—officially endorsed Romney’s campaign.

“Mitt is tough, he’s sharp, he’s smart,” Trump said. According to reports at the time, the Romney campaign had actively pursued the endorsement.

Romney’s opponents played the endorsement as a sign that he of the “47%” was even further from the people than voters already thought but, as TIME pointed out back then, it was actually a win for the candidate. Trump was already an appealing figure to many Republican voters, and was—despite his wealth—already capable of reaching a populist audience that might have been turned off by Romney.

Some of the themes from Trump’s sober and concise endorsement of the candidate will ring true to those following the current presidential race, but on Thursday it’s perhaps more interesting to look at Romney’s response to the endorsement.

The former Massachusetts governor began with a statement that could be read very differently in retrospect (“There are some things you just can’t imagine happening in your life. This is one of them.”), but his praise for Trump was generally effusive.

“Donald Trump has shown an extraordinary ability to understand how our economy works,” Romney said, citing Trump’s record as a job creator. And, he concluded, “it means a great deal to me to have the endorsement of Mr. Trump.”

Read TIME’s 2011 take on Donald Trump’s presidential potential: Will the Donald Really Run for President?

http://time.com/4246367/donald-trump-mitt-romney-2012/

ROMNEY, TRUMP FEUD ERUPTS

Mitt says Donald 'a phony, a fraud' and voters being taken for 'suckers'; Trump: Romney's a 'failed candidate'

• FLASHBACK STORY: Trump endorses Romney in 2012 | FLASHBACK VIDEO: Trump endorses Romney in 2012
• VIDEO: Ryan says Romney worried about future of party, country | MEDIA BUZZ: Trump needs to attract Democrats
• OUSTING OBAMACARE: Trump reveals seven-point healthcare reform plan
• DEBATE DROP-OUT: Carson sees no 'path forward' in race | RACE FOR GOP NOD: Trump builds delegate lead
• 'HE SPEAKS HIS MIND': Melania Trump describes Donald as one to 'bring America to next level'
• ATCH THE FOX NEWS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE TONIGHT AT 9PM ET ON FOX NEWS AND STREAMING LIVE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Romney just gave the MSM the propaganda they crave with a #SoundBiteSpeech!

Mitt Romney Says Donald Trump Is a Case of 'Evil Trumping Good'

• By STEPHANIE EBBS
• VERONICA STRACQUALURSI

Mar 3, 2016, 11:57 AM ET

Play

Pool

WATCH Donald Trump and Mitt Romney in War of Words

Mitt Romney ripped into Donald Trump today, calling his candidacy a case of "evil trumping good.”

"A person so untrustworthy and dishonest as Hillary Clinton must not become president. Of course, a Trump nomination enables her victory," Romney said this morning in an address to the Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah.

And that was the tip of the iceberg in a scathing speech the formerGOP presidential nominee gave of his party’s 2016 campaign front-runner.

"Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University," Romney said. "He's playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat."

Trump Responds to Romney's Attack
Trump Says GOP Has 'Nobody Like Trump'

"The audio and video of the infamous Tapper-Trump exchange on the Ku Klux Klan will play a hundred thousand times on cable and who knows how many million times on social media" Romney said referring to the endorsement trump received from David Duke.

A businessman himself Romney went after Trump's economic policies and failed business ventures.

"But wait, you say, isn't he a huge business success that knows what he's talking about? No he isn't. His bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who worked for them. He inherited his business, he didn't create it," Romney said to applause from the audience, adding later. "A business genius he is not."

"Now not every policy Donald Trump has floated is bad," Romney said. "He wants to repeal and replace Obamacare. He wants to bring jobs home from China and Japan. But his prescriptions to do these things are flimsy at best."

Romney egged on Trump: "Watch how he responds to my speech today. Will he talk about our policy differences or will he attack me with every imaginable low road insult? This may tell you what you need to know about his temperament, his stability, and his suitability to be president."

Romney also argued that the New York real estate developer will lose to "untrustworthy and dishonest" former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton if she is the Democratic nominee.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mitt-...ry?id=37363465

The establishment just doesn't get it. May just empower more to vote for Trump.

http://www.alipac.us/f9/mitt-romney-...uckers-329639/

Trump Campaign Official Arrested On Federal Charges Linked To Bundy Ranch

@ Armed militia group attempting to overthrow the government

POLLS

Who does Mitt Romney's criticism of Donald Trump help?

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Ted Cruz 10% (28)

John Kasich 4% (13)

Marco Rubio 11% (32)

Donald Trump 73% (203)

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