Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney came out with a long list of insults for Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, in an attempt to show that party is not behind the billionaire businessman.
The speech, which was delivered at the University of Utah today, sounded like what Trump’s actual rivals should be saying on the campaign trail. Instead, the remarks were made by the party’s 2012 nominee, who failed to stop President Barack Obama from winning a third term.
According to Romney, if Trump becomes the nominee, “the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished.”
Romney then went on to list why Trump would be a disaster for the U.S. He suggested that the country would “sink into a prolonged recession” if Trump implemented his economic plans. The former governor then dug up failed business ideas Trump has had, like Trump Vodka and Trump Mortgage.
Trump “lacks the temperament to be president,” Romney said, before going into a list of lies and insults Trump has said.
“Dishonesty is Trump's hallmark: He claimed that he had spoken clearly and boldly against going into Iraq. Wrong, he spoke in favor of invading Iraq. He said he saw thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating 9/11. Wrong, he saw no such thing. He imagined it,” Romney said. “His is not the temperament of a stable, thoughtful leader. His imagination must not be married to real power.”
After insisting that Trump would not be able to beat “a person so untrustworthy and dishonest as Hillary Clinton,” Romney called Trump “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 said.
Despite the speech, Romney failed to endorse Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio or John Kasich, even though he said one of those men could be the nominee.
Trump is speaking in Maine today, where he is already taking shots at Romney. The speech by Romney could even embolden him, because it once again proves how far away he stands from the establishment.