Ann Romney: Trump excitement in 2016 race ‘a good thing’

by Jesse Byrnes - 09/29/15 4:04 PM ET

Though she wouldn’t weigh in on the 2016 presidential campaign, Ann Romney on Tuesday said increased interest in the race spurred by celebrity businessman Donald Trump is “a good thing.”

“Every cycle is so unique — and this one is maybe one of the most unique,” Romney said when asked by Yahoo’s Katie Couric whether Trump is good for presidential politics.

{mosads}”More people are listening, I think more people are becoming engaged, more people are paying attention than ever before,” Romney said. “That, I would say, would be a good thing.”

Romney said she doesn’t miss being in the clutches of a presidential campaign, as she was in her husband Mitt Romney’s 2008 and 2012 White House bids.

“It’s not to say we’re not enjoying it like everyone else is — it’s quite entertaining, it’s totally different than any of us would have anticipated,” Romney said of her and Mitt’s view.

She said her view applied to both the Republican and Democrat races, and chalked up the interest in outsider candidates to frustration against special interests.

The former first lady of Massachusetts, whose husband flirted with a third White House bid early this year, declined to name any candidate she could envision supporting in the race.

Romney said she knew every single Republican and Democratic presidential candidate except for Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), whom she has never met.

Tags Ann Romney Donald Trump