Romney to slam Trump as ‘a phony, a fraud’

Former Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will slam current GOP front-runner Donald Trump as “a phony, a fraud” during remarks on Thursday, according to multiple reports.

{mosads}Romney will reportedly call on voters to “make the right choices” during a speech at the University of Utah that comes a little more than a week before the final major round of voting in the GOP race on March 15.

“Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud,” Mitt Romney will tell voters. “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.”

Some have suggested that Republicans need a major address to frame the decision before voters as historic in nature, invoking Reagan’s “time for choosing” speech, which appears to be what Romney will attempt to do.

Excerpts of his speech show that Romney will say America faces “another time for choosing,” hearkening back to Reagan’s 1964 address, adding that the election could have “profound consequences” for Republicans and the country.

“Donald Trump says he admires Vladimir Putin, while has called George W. Bush a liar,” Romney plans to tell his audience, according to excerpts. “That is a twisted example of evil trumping good.”

Romney will state that Trump’s rivals in the race — Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) and Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla.) — have “serious policy proposals” to address a range of issues facing the country, according to Romney’s remarks.

Trump late Wednesday responded to reports that Romney would be addressing the 2016 race, calling him a “two-time failed candidate.” He took to Twitter again on Thursday to blast Romney, arguing he doesn’t know how to defeat Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Looks like two-time failed candidate Mitt Romney is going to be telling Republicans how to get elected. Not a good messenger!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2016

I am the only one who can beat Hillary Clinton. I am not a Mitt Romney, who doesn’t know how to win. Hillary wants no part of “Trump”

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 3, 2016

This report was updated at 7:24 a.m.