"I get asked on a regular basis, 'Boy, why aren't you running this year?' I ask myself that a lot too," Romney said at the Chamber of Commerce headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Thursday.
Is the 2012 Republican nominee having regrets?
Certainly, he would have had plenty of ammunition to run this year, considering he turned out to be right on key policy issues during the 2012 election. He was mocked at the time, but Romney was eerily accurate in his prediction that Russia would become a serious aggressor and our greatest geopolitical foe. He warned about a debt ceiling fight, which also came to fruition and caused panic across the federal government. He also offered a chilling warning about Obamacare's expensive impact on middle class families. Again, ding ding ding.
Rep. Jason Chaffetz called the former Massachusetts governor "prophetic" for his predictions.
Yet, the so-called seer decided against another run for the White House. In fact, he stayed pretty mum throughout the GOP primary - until March. Romney broke his silence just before the Utah primary to warn voters against voting for Donald Trump. Trump's lack of foreign policy knowledge and lack of policies would spell danger for the country, Romney warned. As for his economic policies, they'd be "bad for American workers and for American families."
His speech worked in Utah, but it didn't work nationally, as Trump ultimately won the Republican nomination.
At the Chamber of Commerce, Romney lamented that neither of the 2016 candidates have a plan to boost the economy - particularly how to fight entitlements.
He regretted not being able to voice his pro-business policies better in the 2012 election. He apparently did on Thursday; he received a standing ovation.
While Romney has not been so vocal against Trump since the latter became the nominee, he recently urged voters to get out to vote for everyone on the ballot except the top of the ticket.
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