Tracy Mumford
Mitt Romney stepped into the fray of the 2016 presidential race today with a speech aimed straight at Donald Trump, the Republican front-runner.
Speaking at the University of Utah, the former GOP presidential nominee called into question everything from Trump’s business sense to his sexual exploits in the 1970s. Trump’s nomination, Romney argued, “ensures” a Hillary Clinton — and Democratic — victory.
Below are nine digs Romney took at The Donald himself. The full speech is available via TIME.
Romney takes on Trump
1) “A business genius he is not”
But wait, you say, isn’t Trump a huge business success who knows what he’s talking about?
No, he isn’t. His bankruptcies have crushed small businesses and the men and women who worked for them. He inherited his business, he didn’t create it.
And whatever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there’s Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks, and Trump Mortgage?
A business genius he is not.
2) “The most ridiculous and dangerous idea of the campaign season”
What he said on “60 Minutes” about Syria and ISIS has to go down as the most ridiculous and dangerous idea of the campaign season: Let ISIS take out Assad, he said, and then we can pick up the remnants.
Think about that: Let the most dangerous terror organization the world has ever known take over a country?
This is recklessness in the extreme.
3) “Very, very not smart”
Donald Trump tells us that he is very, very smart. I’m afraid that when it comes to foreign policy he is very, very not smart.
4) “Bragged about his marital affairs”
This is an individual who mocked a disabled reporter, who attributed a reporter’s questions to her menstrual cycle, who mocked a brilliant rival who happened to be a woman due to her appearance, who bragged about his marital affairs, and who laces his public speeches with vulgarity.
5) “Sexual exploits during the Vietnam War”
There is dark irony in his boasts of his sexual exploits during the Vietnam War while John McCain, whom he has mocked, was imprisoned and tortured.
6) “His is not the temperament of a stable, thoughtful leader”
Dishonesty is Trump’s hallmark: He claimed that he had spoken clearly and boldly against going into Iraq. Wrong, he spoke in favor of invading Iraq.
He said he saw thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating 9/11. Wrong, he saw no such thing. He imagined it.
His is not the temperament of a stable, thoughtful leader. His imagination must not be married to real power.
7) “Absurd third-grade theatrics”
Think of Donald Trump’s personal qualities, the bullying, the greed, the showing off, the misogyny, the absurd third-grade theatrics.
8) The distinction of “The Donald”
We have long referred to him as “The Donald.”
He is the only person in America to whom we have added an article before his name. It wasn’t because he had attributes we admired.
9) “All we get is a lousy hat”
Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. 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.
Romney said that Trump’s reaction to his speech would say a lot about his own character.
“Watch how he responds to my speech today,” Romney said. “Will he talk about our policy differences or will he attack me with every imaginable low road insult? This may tell you what you need to know about his temperament, his stability, and his suitability to be president.”
Trump hit right back at a rally in Portland, Maine, saying of Romney’s behavior in 2012, “You can see how loyal he is. He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said, ‘Mitt, drop to your knees.’ He would have dropped to his knees.”
