Mitt Romney "choked like a dog" in the 2012 election, Donald Trump said Monday, adding that neither Romney nor most of the slate of potential GOP nominees will be able to defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016.
"I supported Mitt Romney and he didn't bring out the people," Trump said on "Fox & Friends"
Monday. "He choked in the end ... frankly, he just choked, choked like a dog, and we cannot allow that to happen again."
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Romney's last month of the 2012 campaign "was a disaster," added Trump, who said he's going to decide on his 2016 campaign aspirations within the next three or four months.
"He should have won that election. He was going against the president, who was absolutely not good and not doing well."
Romney, if he finally decides on a 2016 race, will lose again, Trump said.
"The 'Romneycare' is still with you, many other issues with you, including the 47 percent statement that's going to be brought up again, and he'll lose for the same reasons," said Trump.
And further, while he describes Romney as "a nice man," Trump said the former Massachusetts governor doesn't have what it takes to win a presidential race, and he never did.
"Most importantly, some people cannot get the ball over the line and he was never able to get the ball over the line," said Trump. "We can’t do it again.... We really need help in this country. This country is going to be a disaster if we keep going along the way we’re going."
As for the growing slate of candidates, "these people are not going to be beating Hillary Clinton. I can tell you right now," Trump said.
Trump, along with former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, is scheduled to speak Monday at the annual South Carolina Tea Party Coalition convention being held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The event has attracted several other potential GOP nomination contenders, including Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who spoke on Sunday.
Many of those attending do not believe Romney can win the presidency if he mounts what would be his third campaign in 2016, and believe a potential winner must be a conservative, not a moderate like him.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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