Sen. Mitt Romney Urges Donors To Force Non-Competitive GOP Candidates Out Of Presidential Race

Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) is urging GOP donors urge non-competitive Republican presidential candidates to drop out of the race by February so that Donald Trump does not win by default running in a crowded field. Trump’s opponents worry that running against too many candidates will hand him the presidency.

“There are incentives for no-hope candidates to overstay their prospects. Coming in behind first place may grease another run in four years or have a market value of its own: Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum got playing gigs,” Romney wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed published on Monday, recalling two of his GOP rivals during the 2012 presidential primaries.

“Left to their own inclinations, expect several of the contenders to stay in the race for a long time,” Romney continued. “They will split the non-Trump vote, giving him the prize. A plurality is all that is needed for winner-take-all primaries.”

The group of GOP officials attempting to challenge Trump includes Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and former Vice President Mike Pence, among others.

Despite a string of legal woes, Trump is still the Republican frontrunner. Romney, who ran for the presidency in 2008 and 2012, has been critical of Trump throughout his past two campaigns.

Article by Ava Lombardi