Alarmed by the Donald Trump juggernaut now well on its way to capture the presidential nomination, the Republican Party establishment has embarked on a last-ditch bid to somehow stall the brash billionaire’s advance and deny him the party nomination for the November race.
leading the anti-Trump revolt is no less a person than Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee who lost to President Barack Obama. On Thursday, Romney launched a full-scale attack on Trump, calling him “a phony, a fraud” and urging fellow-Republicans not to fall for his tall promises.
Separately, top Republican donors and strategists are gearing up for a multimedia assault on the front-runner in the upcoming primaries, notably Florida, where establishment favourite Marco Rubio faces a grim challenge from Trump. New videos targeting the real-estate mogul are just out. Top guns in the party reportedly believe that they will have to act fast as Trump may have already become unstoppable.
Warning that Trump’s policies would make America and the world less safe, Romney said in a speech at the University of Utah: “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.”
It was not immediately clear if Romney would confine himself to giving an advice as a party elder or opt to jump into the presidential fray at this late stage. A fortnight ago, Romney was reportedly getting ready to endorse Senator Rubio, but decided to wait for the time being.
Trump promptly took to the Twitter and hit back. “looks like two-time failed candidate Mitt Romney is going to be telling Republicans how to get elected. Not a good messenger,” he tweeted, adding: “I am the only one who can beat Hillary Clinton. I am not a Mitt Romney, who doesn’t know how to run.”
“Romney, who ran one of the worst races in presidential history, is working with the establishment to bury a big ‘R’ (Republican) win!” Trump tweeted, recalling how Romney “begged” him for his endorsement four years ago.
The Romney attack came a day after groups of Republicans, including some sitting and former lawmakers and a host of policy wonks, put out statements casting Trump as the very antithesis of conservative principles and making it clear that they will just not vote for him if he were to win the Republican nomination.
Apparently roused into sudden action by Trump’s stunning showing on Super Tuesday, taking his victory tally to 10 of the total 15 States thus far, the anti-Trump groups have expressed the fear that Republicans may lose not only the White House race but Congressional elections as well in November if Trump becomes the party nominee.
Senator Ben Sasse from Nebraska became the first Republican lawmaker on Wednesday to declare that he will not vote for Trump, saying he would instead search for a third-party contender. Reports said that former Texas Governor Rick Perry had been approached by “a mixture of people” about making a third-party presidential bid.
In an open letter to Trump supporters posted on his Facebook page, Senator Sasse said he cannot support a candidate focused on “tearing down rather than building back up this glorious nation”.
Other senior Republicans who have announced that they would not support a Trump nomination, include Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and South Carolina Representative Mark Sanford.