Mitt Romney predicts real estate and television billionaire Donald Trump — now the front-running GOP presidential candidate — won't nail down the nomination.
"I will support the Republican nominee," the 2012 Republican Party standard bearer said at The Atlantic magazine's Washington Ideas Forum. "I don't think that's going to be Donald Trump."
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"My party has historically nominated someone who is a mainstream conservative and someone who has a foundation of foreign policy that gives people confidence that they can guide the ship of State in trouble waters," Romney said.
Romney called Trump's strategy to fight the Islamic State (ISIS) militants, for example,
"both absurd and dangerous."
"I just don't think that that kind of proposal is likely to lead him to become our nominee," he said.
Romney said he believed there were now two "brackets" in the Republican Party: insurgents and mainstream,
Politico reports.
"I recognize that there's a lot of attention given to the insurgent bracket, but I think you're going to see one or two people emerge on the other side," he said.
"I feel like you don't necessarily have to have Washington or government experience," Romney added about prospective presidential candidates. "I wouldn't disqualify someone just because they hadn't served in Washington or hadn't served in a state house."
The Atlantic editor in chief James Bennet failed to tease an announcement from Romney about a possible 2016 bid, Politico reports.
"I wish I could do it again," Romney said.
"You can!" Bennet replied.
Romney also expressed regret about his trouble attracting minority voters.
"I didn't do it as well as I should have," Romney said. "Darn it, I wish I had done it properly."
Trump endorsed Romney during the 2012 election against President Barack Obama, but blasted him last January,
saying he "choked" during the race.
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