Romney: Trump 'Not a Republican In Any Sense'

In case there was any doubt, Mitt Romney says he "can't imagine" endorsing Donald Trump as the Republican presidential nominee. The 2012 GOP presidential candidate says Trump, "is not a Republican in any sense of the word" and has "taken this campaign into a very deep gutter." Romney spoke to CNN's State of the Union in an interview broadcast Sunday, reports the AP, after strongly criticizing Trump in a speech Thursday at the University of Utah as dangerous and a phony. Trump that night had a difficult debate in which he made a crude sexual joke and was the target of multiple attacks from rivals Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio.

Romney continued, per Politico: "I do know that when my grandkids say, ‘What did you do to stop Donald Trump?’ I wanted to be able to say something. At this stage, we say all right, he could easily become the nominee, probably most likely to be the Republican nominee at this point, but I think there’s a better choice out there." Romney says he's not endorsing any candidate now, but might after March 15 when voters in some candidates' delegate-rich home states go to the polls. Rubio, who is from Florida, and Ohio Gov. John Kasich have said they'll stay in the race at least through that days' votes. (More Mitt Romney stories.)