Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee, lashed out at Donald Trump in a speech at the University of Utah on Thursday morning calling the GOP front-runner “a phony, a fraud.”
“If we make the right choices America’s future will be better than our past,” Romney said, “If we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished,” Romney added.
“Let me explain that first on the economy, if Donald Trump’s polices were ever implemented the country would sink into prolonged recession,” Romney said arguing that his polices would start a trade war that would harm the economy, and his tax plan would increase the national debt.
“So even though Donald Trump has offered very few specific economic plans, what little he has said is enough to know that he would be very bad for American workers and American families.”
Romney listed several failed business ventures and said Trump is a bad businessman and does not know what he’s talking about when it comes to the economy.
“His bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who work for them. And he inherited his business, he didn’t created it. And whatever happened to Trump Airlines, and Trump University? And then there’s Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Stakes, and Trump Mortgage. A business genius he is not,” Romney said.
“Not every policy that Donald Trump has floated is bad,” Romney said. “But his prescriptions to do those things are flimsy at best,” he added. Romney said Trump’s proposals do have enough details to be successful.
“Insulting all Muslims will keep many of them from engaging with us in the urgent fight against ISIS, and for what purpose?” Romney said. “Muslim terrorists would only have to lie about their religion to enter the country,” he added.
Attacking Trump’s foreign policy proposals Romney said, “Now Donald Trump has told us that he’s very, very smart. I’m afraid that when it comes to foreign policy he is very not smart.”
Romney said that Trump does not conduct himself properly nor does he have the temperament to be the president. “Watch by the way how to responds to my speech today,” Romney said drawing applause from the audience. “Will he talk about our policy differences, or will he attack me with every imaginable low road insult? This will tell you what you need to know about his temperament, his stability, and his suitability to be president.”
Citing recent polls showing Trump losing to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, he said “a Trump nomination enables her victory.”
“There are a number of people who claim that Mr. Trump is a con man, a fake,” Romney said. “There’s plenty of evidence that Mr. Trump is a con man, a fake. Mr. Trump has changed his positions not just over the years but over the course of the campaign. And on the Ku Klux Klan, daily for three days in a row.” he added.
“I understand the anger Americans feel today. In the past, our presidents have channeled that anger and forged it into resolve, into endurance and high purpose, and into the will to defeat the enemies of freedom. Our anger was transformed into energy for good. Mr. Trump is directing our anger for less than noble purposes,” Romney said. “This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss,” he added.
“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud,” Romney said. “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.”
“Now I know some of you want this race to be over. They look at history and say a trend like Mr. Trump’s isn’t going to be stopped. Perhaps, but the rules of political history have pretty much been shredded over the course of this campaign," he said arguing that it is not late to stop Trump from winning the nomination.
“If we make the right choices America’s future will be better than our past,” Romney said, “If we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished,” Romney added.
“Let me explain that first on the economy, if Donald Trump’s polices were ever implemented the country would sink into prolonged recession,” Romney said arguing that his polices would start a trade war that would harm the economy, and his tax plan would increase the national debt.
“So even though Donald Trump has offered very few specific economic plans, what little he has said is enough to know that he would be very bad for American workers and American families.”
Romney listed several failed business ventures and said Trump is a bad businessman and does not know what he’s talking about when it comes to the economy.
“His bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who work for them. And he inherited his business, he didn’t created it. And whatever happened to Trump Airlines, and Trump University? And then there’s Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Stakes, and Trump Mortgage. A business genius he is not,” Romney said.
“Not every policy that Donald Trump has floated is bad,” Romney said. “But his prescriptions to do those things are flimsy at best,” he added. Romney said Trump’s proposals do have enough details to be successful.
“Insulting all Muslims will keep many of them from engaging with us in the urgent fight against ISIS, and for what purpose?” Romney said. “Muslim terrorists would only have to lie about their religion to enter the country,” he added.
Attacking Trump’s foreign policy proposals Romney said, “Now Donald Trump has told us that he’s very, very smart. I’m afraid that when it comes to foreign policy he is very not smart.”
Romney said that Trump does not conduct himself properly nor does he have the temperament to be the president. “Watch by the way how to responds to my speech today,” Romney said drawing applause from the audience. “Will he talk about our policy differences, or will he attack me with every imaginable low road insult? This will tell you what you need to know about his temperament, his stability, and his suitability to be president.”
Citing recent polls showing Trump losing to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, he said “a Trump nomination enables her victory.”
“There are a number of people who claim that Mr. Trump is a con man, a fake,” Romney said. “There’s plenty of evidence that Mr. Trump is a con man, a fake. Mr. Trump has changed his positions not just over the years but over the course of the campaign. And on the Ku Klux Klan, daily for three days in a row.” he added.
“I understand the anger Americans feel today. In the past, our presidents have channeled that anger and forged it into resolve, into endurance and high purpose, and into the will to defeat the enemies of freedom. Our anger was transformed into energy for good. Mr. Trump is directing our anger for less than noble purposes,” Romney said. “This is the very brand of anger that has led other nations into the abyss,” he added.
“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud,” Romney said. “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.”
“Now I know some of you want this race to be over. They look at history and say a trend like Mr. Trump’s isn’t going to be stopped. Perhaps, but the rules of political history have pretty much been shredded over the course of this campaign," he said arguing that it is not late to stop Trump from winning the nomination.