Senator Mitt Romney of Utah, a Republican with a history of straining party unity, has put forth a plan aimed at blocking former President Donald Trump from the GOP presidential nomination.
Romney proposed in an opinion piece that the current number of Republican primary candidates should be promptly reduced to a “two-person race before Mr. Trump has the nomination sewn up.”
He argues that GOP donors should push candidates to step aside if their chances of winning appear slim.
“Republican megadonors and influencers—large and small—are going to have to do something they didn’t do in 2016: get candidates they support to agree to withdraw if and when their paths to the nomination are effectively closed. That decision day should be no later than, say, Feb. 26,” Romney wrote.
Romney suggests that without intervention, several contenders will stay in the race, dividing the non-Trump vote and allowing Trump to claim the nomination.
He stresses the importance of having a nominee of character, driven by more than personal grudges and ego, ideally from the newer generation.
“Family, friends, and campaign donors are the only people who can get a lost-cause candidate to exit the race. After Feb. 26, they should start doing just that,” Romney stated.
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Despite receiving Trump’s endorsement for U.S. Senate in 2018, Romney has been at odds with the former president and a faction of the Republican party.
This is evidenced by Trump’s 2019 tweet referring to Romney as “a fool who is playing right into the hands of the Do Nothing Democrats!”
Romney, who lost to Democrat Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election, has cast votes to impeach Trump twice, including after the January 6, 202 Capitol riot.
Despite Romney’s plan, polls suggest Trump maintains a substantial lead over other potential Republican candidates, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Romney’s past actions and current proposals continue to highlight his discordance within the Republican party.
