During a lengthy interview on Fox News Friday, Mitt Romney insisted there’s a “zero percent chance” the Republican party would turn to him as a presidential candidate. Later, he upped the odds to one in ten million. But he never said he’d turn down the chance if he had it. Meanwhile, host Neil Cavuto sounded like he wanted Romney to run.
During most of the interview, Romney talked about all the reasons he has spoken out against Trump: “I’ve watched Donald Trump be more and more outrageous, say terrible things about George Bush, about John McCain, positive things about Vladimir Putin, then mocking a reporter, a disabled reporter,” he said.
“What am I going to do when my grandkids say, ‘What did you do to stop Donald Trump?’ and I say, ‘Well I didn’t do anything.’” Romney argued.
Cavuto did challenge him, saying that people could ask, “Who are you to stop Donald Trump if he’s winning all these votes?” He also noted that Romney sought Trump’s endorsement four years ago.
Romney said he wanted “the support of everybody in the country,” but that didn’t mean he wanted to endorse them for president. “Frankly, had I heard then what he’s been saying during this campaign, I wouldn’t have appeared with him,” Romney added. Of course, Trump came out with his bogus birther campaign in 2011, before Romney ran in 2012. Not surprisingly, Cavuto didn’t mention it.
“I certainly would not endorse him for president,” Romney insisted. “I cannot in good conscience vote for a person who has been as degrading and disruptive and unhinged as I’ve seen in Donald Trump.” He said he’d either vote for a third party or write in a name. But, “I’d rather see someone besides Donald Trump become the nominee outright on the first ballot.”
In the last part of the interview, Cavuto said, “Mitt Romney wants to be the guy in the white hat who everyone comes to, the savior of the party in a brokered convention.”
“Our nominee is gonna be one of the people running for president,” Romney replied.
Cavuto pressed: “But if none of them really gets the votes, what if they come to you?”
“They’re not going to come to me,” Romney responded.
“What if they did?” Cavuto pressed again.
“That’s a zero percent chance,” Romney answered.
Cavuto did not let up. “If they did? If they did? …Are you saying never, ever, ever?”
“The nominee of our party will be somebody who’s running for president,” Romney said.
“Hasn’t always been that way,” Cavuto continued. “What if they’re not and they say, ‘Mitt Romney we need you to bridge the gap?’”
Romney called that “a one in a ten million scenario.”
“You’re not ruling that scenario (out),” Cavuto observed.
Watch it below, from the March 4 Cavuto: Coast to Coast, which was also re-aired on Your World.