"I wanted my grandkids to see that I simply couldn't ignore what Mr. Trump was saying and doing, which revealed a character and temperament unfit for the leader of the free world" - Mitt Romney to the Wall Street Journal.
To say that former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney does not like Donald Trump would be a severe understatement. The GOP's 2012 presidential contender has spent the better part of this year fighting the real estate mogul's ascendancy in the Republican Party, which has included both personal appeals in nationally televised speeches and multiple endorsements in the now concluded primaries.
With Trump officially claiming the nomination just this past week, it would seem that the two-time presidential candidate has been bested by the bombastic Trump. However, many speculate, that there might be a third national bid in store for Romney, who has the enthusiastic support of many bigwigs and grassroots conservatives to launch an independent candidacy for the White House.
Speculation that has been driven in just this past weekend by Weekly Standard Editor Bill Kristol, who tweeted on Sunday afternoon: "Just a heads up over this holiday weekend: There will be an independent candidate -- an impressive one, with a strong team and a strong chance." This follows calls by National Review writer David French and Resurgent publisher Erick Erickson for Romney to jump into the fray.
Although there have been few, if any, indicators that Romney is planning an independent bid, he is likely the last chance that members of the dwindling #NeverTrump movement have to support a conservative Republican in the fall campaign.
Support that has drawn backlash from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Hot Air, and even Trump himself. Taking breaks from campaigning, Trump has tweeted on multiple occasions that a Romney bid would result in conservatives losing control of the Supreme Court, which the Manhattan businessman's campaign manager said would result in the death of the Second Amendment.
However, with Romney telling the Wall Street Journal, "others, including myself, believe our first priority should be to stand by our principles and if those are in conflict with the nominee, the principles come first," one has to believe that Romney views the temporary loss of power for conservatism as worth the price for preventing its complete destruction by Trump.
This is why, despite the likelihood for failure if Romney were to enter the race, that a strong Draft Romney movement has taken heart with many conservatives, because in a time dominated by corrupt politicians and bankrupt businessmen, there stands a single individual who has survived both of those fields with his principles intact, and, newsflash: it isn't Donald Trump.
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