Mitt Romney is pressing ahead with
his withering criticism of GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump, calling his rhetoric "outrageous," and accusing the brash-talking real estate billionaire of dragging the Republican primary race into a "deep gutter."
In
an interview with CNN on Friday afternoon, Romney ticked off Trump's criticism of public figures including President George W. Bush, and private ones, including a disabled New York Times reporter – and policy stances, including his support for waterboarding and "worse."
"What he has said during this campaign… some things are completely, totally outrageous," he tells CNN, pointing out Trump's assertion during a Thursday night GOP debate in Detroit that as president he would support waterboarding "and more" and the targeting of families of terrorists.
"The troops would be guilty of crimes and he would be guilty of high crimes and misdemeanors," Romney declared.
Trump reversed his stance in a statement Friday.
Romney said his wife, Ann, asked him if wasn't "glad you're not up there" on the debate stage after the raucous and – at one point – sexually suggestive face-off at the 11th candidates' debate..
"Mr. Trump has taken this campaign to a deep gutter and I'm hoping we're going to get out of that gutter," Romney said.
Romney also appeared Friday for an interview with
Fox News host Neil Cavuto, where he charged "I don't think a lot of people know who the real Donald Trump is."
But former Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer came to Trump's defense, speaking to Cavuto from the CPAC convention Friday.
"I know the real Donald Trump and I find him to be kind, honest, a good listener… and so did Mitt a few years ago," she said, referring to Romney's acceptance, as the 2012 GOP nominee, of Trump's endorsement.
"I don't know what has changed his mind," she said, adding: "We are the party of the big tent… we need to get behind the winner and we need to beat Clinton."
She also warned against a brokered GOP convention to deny Trump the nomination.
"If the people's vote doesn't count, then we're fractured," she said.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.