Your reaction . First of all, donald trump was supposed to speak at cpac this weekend answered canceled. Now, ive interviewed people. He didnt agree to the rules of the other candidates abiding by, but another reason. There were going to be protests, walk jaouts if he was here, especially after last nights debate is losing altitude and i it will continue as long as he engages in shall we say cama kaz zee campaigning. Well be more with mtp daily on monday. With all due respect starts now. Im mark halperin. Im john helemann. With all due respect to donald trump, your only presence at cpac, maybe not the best idea. On the show tonight, our daily donald fix, and the Republican Partys big swinging egos. But first, mitt romney stopped by the sued ystudio as anybody tour. Today, he went on a new york media rampage to make his case about why the gop front unner is unworthy of the partys no nomin and he needs to be stopped even if it takes political games man ship at the convention in cleveland. Is the person with the most delegates going into the Cleveland Convention who doesnt have a majority but a plurality is that person entitled to the nomination. Nobody is entitled to the nomination. The Voters Decide who they want to support and the delegates are also to make a determination of who will be in the best interest of the party and the country to be our nominee. So look, this is a process that is a normal political process. It may go to a contested, open convention. I think that would be interesting, exciting for the public at large. Thats parts of our political process. You gotta win, either get the delegates and show that you had the support of the nation, you got the 1237 delegates, and if you didnt, then you have to go to the convention and convince the delegates. So john, were a little more than 24 hours into mitt romneys crusade against donald trump, how is it going . I thought he performed well today, mark. I thought he made his case in greater detail. He answered questions pretty well. I dont think he has dispelled the suspicions of some that he would like to be the republican nominee in that process that you guys were talking about on the contested convention. By and large, romney is driving the message strongly. Chris christie is kind of the polar opposite, you know, three camps in the republican world. Endorsing trump for the establishment, both voters and elites, people who are saying
theyre against trump, but if he is nominee, and then people like romney, never, never will they vote for trump. Romney is having surprising traction with that position, and with the position that its okay to use the rules of the party to stop somebody if they dont have the majority on the first ballot. Yeah, look, i think its actually intellectually unassailable position. You get the majority of t delegates, and if you dont, a first ballot, it becomes a contested convention. You can be a great fan of edwards, whatever the rules of order are, whatever the phrase is. Roberts. Take the position, roberts, roberts, and be this is all fair game. Fair play. Yeah. All right, now i want to tell you a story about little marco and bill donald. Last night at the Republican Debate in detroit, they stood as
statesman. Dignified substantive discussion about issues of great moment and urgency of the electorate. Sorry, i was just having a little reverse. And yes, penile illusion. So yes, did that thing, whatever it was that occurred last night at the fox theater in detroit change anything in the republican race . Did it do any lasting damage as some conservatives have suggested to the republican brand . Look, people had said for several weeks now, largely because of donald trump, that they cant watch the debates or political rallies with their kids in the room. Marco rubio escalated some of that rhetoric over the last couple of weeks and i think last night, really did turn off a lot of people. Im not sure negative effect on any of the candidates, but it really did have a negative affect on people, saying oh omg, i cannot believe this is a president ial debate with the four finalists. It really is. The ratings were off the charts for the debate last nights and for americans tuning in to this hotly contested nomination, seeing that level of discourse, it blows my mind a time, our memory, the party of ideas, it is not the party of ideas any more, at least on the basis of what we saw last night. You see the tension in the mouth of marco rubio. On the one hand, you know, trying to continue his insults on donald trump, to do what his campaign thinks is keeping him in the race to some extent and the other when he said i wish we could be talking about ideas, but its hard when donald trump is setting the pace. All right, when we come back, my full interview with governor mitt romney on everything trump, including just how far romney is willing to go to stop the current frontrunner. That interview, when we come back. Were a nanobusiness. Windows 10 really helps us get the word out about how awesome bugs are. Kids learn to be brave and curious and all kids speak the language of bug. Hey cortana, find my katydid video. Oh this is so good. If youre trying to teach a kid about a proboscis. Just sketch it on the screen. I dont have a touch screen on my mac, im jealous of that. You put a big bug in a kids hands and change their world view. [ laugh ] i am benedict arnold, the infamous traitor. And i know a thing or two about trading. So i trade with e trade, where true traders trade on a trademarked trade platform that has all the. Get off the computer traitor i wont. cannon sound or if youre young or old. Are if you run everyday, i wont. No matter who you are a heart attack can happen without warning. If youve had a heart attack, a bayer aspirin regimen can help prevent another one. Be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. As mentioned earlier, mitt romney stopped by the studio to
talk about the antitrump project. Talking about the feedback he has heard since his big speech yesterday. Thank you for joining us. Thanks, mark. Good to see you. About 24 hours since your speech in utah. What is the reaction to it. A lot of support from friends and associates. Not surprisingly, a Record Number of emails my way. Anyone you can tell us your viewers would know. No, i wont think so. They can express themselves as they would like to. But you know, i said in my speech that we could measure the readiness of donald trump to be president in part by how he responded to my speech, whether it be policy or a personal attack and characteristically he took the low road. There has been some negative reaction of rush limbaugh, shawn hannity, does that bother you at all . I didnt see their reaction, but frankly, im speaking out on
something i care deeply about, and thats the country were in and the nature of my party and i happen to think that donald trump has neither the experience nor the temperament to be president. Okay, there have been moments along the way as im sure youve watched the campaign where maybe you and mrs. Romney have said thats too far, too much. Any particular things he has done in the last few weeks or months that you or you and mrs. Romney have said thats too much. A long list. His comments about mexicans. That was very early on. Then the comments about muslims. Most recently, what he said with regards to t regar regards quivication, david duke, george bush was a liar. At the same time, saying putin is someone who he respects as a strong and effective leader. I mean, its been one outrage after the other. His mocking of reporter, based on their physical disability. And then if you will, the sexual
and vulgar elements have been part of his campaign. All of it has been troublesome. This has been a low road campaign, pretty much from the beginning. Anything that was the last straw or just coupcumulative . I didnt want to make comments about a particular candidate. My thought was i could remain somewhat neutral in this and sort of call the balls and strikes in a foul here and there, and ive done that along the way. But with the klu klux klan, and about how late this is getting in the process, i said to myself, when my grand kids come and say, papa, what did you do to stop donald trump, i dont want to say i did nothing. So big day as youve pointed out, a week from tuesday, when florida and ohio other states vote. Youre doing this interview, some others, is that it . What will you be doing between ohio, florida march 14th, so do what you said, to do everything you could do to stop donald
trump. Im doing this. That probably reaches more voters than actually showing up in a state and im not sure that my showing up in a state would make much difference any way. They want you to come in and endorse a candidate. Im not doing that. Im laying out the case why we need a real republican lead our party and why donald trump isnt that person. Thats something i can do best on the media. So after today, are you done . Youve said what you needed to say . Ill be on a sunday show or two tomorrow, and beyond that, ill continue to work behind the scenes and do whatever i can do that is effective. What about activating your fundraising, super pacs trying to raise money, will you help with that effort. I am and i think they probably noticed by my remarks yesterday. Im hoping the people that were thinking of saying, well, donald trump is effectively the nominee, we might as well get on board. Wait, maybe we should wait and give it a second look. Youre a pretty wealthy, are
you going to give money. Were going to have to talk about that. Your taxes before you put them out and what might be in there, do you know something about what might be in his taxes, do you have some informed guess or are you doing what one of your grand kids called trolling. I inn kapted why i said what i did, and why i believe there a bombshell in his taxes. Any time someone has raised his taxes, he evades. You dont do that if you plan on releasing them. He began by saying theyre bold, beautiful, and he was going to release them. As time has gone on, he has come up with excuses why he wont release them. Oh, theyre being audited. Four or five years, no, its two or three years. So the response is, well, okay, give us the taxes that arent being audited. Somehow he wont do that either. I think everyone has the same evidence i do, which is he does not want to release his tax returns under any circumstances. I dont believe he ever will, because there is something in there that is afraid that they wouldnt vote for him as the nominee. Would it be enough to release his income and charitable no. What would be the right level . Candidates of office have traditionally given their tax returns, five years, two years, one year, i provided my taxes returns in the year that i had them completed. In january of 2012, were now in march of this election year. Its late to be releasing returns. He ought to be doing it. Big debate in the party, take it away from donald trump and talk about the question about who is entitled to the nomination. The person with the most delegates going into the Cleveland Convention, is that person entitled to the nomination . Nobody is entitled to the nomination. The voter of the country decide
who they want to support and the delegates are elected to also make a determination of who would be in the best interest of the party and the country to be our nominee. So look, this is a process that is a normal political process. It may go to a contested, open convention. I think that would be interesting. Exciting for the public at large. And thats part of our political process. You gotta win, either get the delegates and show that you had the support of the nation, and you got the 1237 delegates and if you didnt, then you got to go to the convention and convince the delegates. So if donald trump gets the most vote and popular vote, say 48 of the delegates, you would be comfortable being part youve dialogue saying 48 is not 50, he is going to have to fight to get 50 at the convention. He should not be the comeny with 48 . A person like donald trump who has said what he has said about muslims, mexicans, women, george bush, john mccain, a person like that should not be
the nominee of our party or be the president. I will campaign for an alternative to donald trump until the avenue is no longer open. What would you say for the people who voted for him or part of his getting the most votes. Ill do my very best to get other people to vote in a different direction. Thats how politics work. We have a political process thats been used before and i anticipate that youre going to see a process here where people decide whats the best way forward. By the way, if there were no such thing as an open convention, the three people running as would combine to one. They think that gives them the best chance of getting the delegates they need. Well be back with my interview, what he said about who he would vote for in a clinton trump general election. I couldnt sleep. So i couldnt get up in time. Then i found aleve pm. Aleve pm is the only one to combine a sleep aid plus the 12hour strength of aleve. For pain relief that can last into the morning. And now. Im back. Aleve pm for a better am. Make you feel like an svp doeinstead of a vp . A new desk then you might be gearcentric. Right now, save up to 40 on desks and Filing Cabinets Office depot officemax. Gear up for great®. I think we shouldve taken a tarzan know where tarzan go tarzan does not know where tarzan go. Hey, excuse me, do you know where the waterfall is . Waterfall . No, me tarzan, king of jungle. Why dont you want to just ask somebody . If youre a couple, you fight over directions. Its what you do. If you want to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, you switch to geico. Oh ohhhhh its what you do. Ohhhhhh do you have to do that right in my ear . At ally bank, no branches equals great rates. Its a fact. Kind of like grandkids equals free tech support. Oh, look at you, so great to see you none of this works. Come on in. Welcome back. Now from our interview with mitt romney, where he talks about his doomsday scenario. Trump v clinton and also why the political rhetoric from elections past. So eight years ago, you said some pretty rough things about john mccain. Rick santorum and Newt Gingrich said rough things about you. Thats how it works. Is this different . The people that you and others are saying about donald trump you think beyond normal politics
and whats happened in past campaigns. Well, i think what he has been doing in the campaign is taken politics to a wholly lower level than weve ever seen, at least in modern times. The attacks based on peoples physical characteristics, so saying about carly fiorina, look at her face, saying about marco rubio in the debate, little marco, little marco, i mean, this hasnt been done before. Even calling someone a liar. That was a i mean, usually you said this a person who has difficulty with the truth, or this a person who is done honest. Saying he is a liar, you know, liar ted. I mean, these kinds of things, and frankly, the vulgarity. Again, that hasnt been part of political campaigns. It goes on in locker rooms, i understand that. Sometimes in small groups. But on a public stage, running for president of the United States to engage in the kind of personal physical attribute attacks is something donald trump has brought we havent
seen before. You said to matt lauer this morning that you wouldnt vote for donald trump or Hillary Clinton. Yeah. Even your own political allies and advisors would say and i think you would probably say thats the most likely out come, Hillary Clinton and donald trump. Yeah. What will you do if those are your only two choices. If those are my only two choices, i would vote for a conservative, i would write in a name if i wasnt comfortable. Are you available . I may be available. Well see. Would you like to see, if donald trump, lets say donald trump wins florida and ohio, he is ahead in the polls right now, and it looks like by the middle of march, he is going to be the republican nominee, hell get the majority, would you like to see an effort made by some conservative to get ballot access. I havent thought about that at this stage, mark. I just know that donald trump isnt the one i would like to see lead the country and i dont want to see Hillary Clinton lead our country. I mean, i may have the occasion to go to the voting booth and probably be writing in a name. You write in your name, but
in all likelihood, the winner at that point if those were the choices would be Hillary Clinton or donald trump. Whose presidency would be better or worst. Im going to channel a Lindsey Graham and say do you want to drink the poison sore take the bullet. Neither one i would be comfortable. Youre clearly not a fan of Hillary Clinton being the president. Absolutely. And i you know you respect Hillary Clinton as a person. It doesnt sound like you respect donald trump. For your grandchildren, you dont think from your point of you, a Hillary Clinton presidency. Im not going to do anything to suggest that im pulling for the democratic nominee if that were Hillary Clinton. I dont want to see her as president. He dont want to donald trump be our nominee. It would be a horrible situation if those were the choices. I think a lot of people would be very troubled with the choices. I agree with that. I think people find, well, you
see polls. People i talk to. Republicans who were supportive of me come up to me time and time again after the speech and say thanks for doing that, coming here in your building, coming up the escalator, thanks for what you said yesterday. Not all republicans, obviously, many people support donald trump. But a lot of people are very uncomfortable with someone whose policies are so far away from the views of mainstream republicans. On foreign policy, and then with regard to domestic policy. I mean, you know, i said yesterday, im convinced his policy, if theyre im mentdplem would cause the country to go into a recession. They dont bring jobs. He has no idea how to do that. A big tariff, it would be devastating to the country and jobs here. There are ways to get jobs back. I talked about them in my campaign. John kasich, ted cruz, marco rubio talked about them last night. You know part of what is driving this election dynamic is
a lot of scepcism about career politicians, even cynicism. Im wondering what you think about this. Last night, you have marco rubio and ted cruz, continuing to say the kinds of things youre saying about donald trump. You know, marco rubio has been saying for over a week now, and yet at the en of the debate when asked if he would support him, they said they would. Doesnt that lead to some cynicism. He is a con man, but yeah, ill suppor