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.
