Romney calls on GOP donors to stop funding candidates who can’t beat Trump

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal calling on Republican presidential primary candidates to drop out of the race by Feb. 26, 2024, if they have no chance of winning. Romney said if a large group stays in the race for too long they will split the non-Trump vote and hand the former president the victory. 

“De­spite Don­ald Trump’s ap­par­ent in­evitabil­ity, a bak­er’s dozen Re­pub­li­cans are hop­ing to be­come the par­ty’s 2024 nom­i­nee for pres­i­dent. That is pos­si­ble for any of them if the field nar­rows to a two-per­son race be­fore Mr. Trump has the nom­i­na­tion sewn up,” Romney wrote.

To narrow the field, Romney wrote that Republican donors should ask their candidate to agree to drop out if they have no viable path to victory. He specifically called out megadonors. 

“They have a re­spon­si­bil­ity to give their funds with clear eyes about their can­di­date’s prospects. Donors who are back­ing some­one with a slim chance of win­ning should seek a com­mit­ment from the can­di­date to drop out and en­dorse the per­son with the best chance of de­feat­ing Mr. Trump by Feb. 26,” the 2012 Republican presidential nominee wrote. 

That date is right after the Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina nominating contests, one day before the Michigan primary and one week before Super Tuesday when 15 states hold their primaries.