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Donald Trump Explodes On Twitter After Mitt Romney Announces Support For Ted Cruz: ‘Mormons Don’t Like Liars’

By Mike Bessler
Published on: 09:35 PST, Mar 18, 2016

Donald Trump isn’t one to take an insult sitting down – unless he is sitting down with his iPhone in hand and the Twitter app open. His penchant for taking opponents down to size in 140 characters or less has become a recurring theme in the present election cycle and he returned to the platform to deliver some new rants on Friday. This time, like many others in recent weeks, he found old guard Republican Mitt Romney and Tea Party hero Ted Cruz as the subjects of his ire.

Romney, who came out swinging against Donald Trump’s controversial presidential campaign earlier this month, has stirred the pot time and again by involving himself in the contentious 2016 primary season. Although he initially declined to express support for a specific candidate – cutting “robocall” messages for Marco Rubio and John Kasich heading into the “Super Tuesday 2” primaries – the 2012 Republican nominee gave a nod to Ted Cruz on Friday afternoon. He made the announcement via Facebook, according to the New York Times.

mitt romney
At his much-anticipated speech on March 3, Mitt Romney denounced Donald Trump as a “phony” and a “fraud.” (Photo by George Frey/Getty Images)

In his statement, Romney said he will cast a vote for Cruz at the Utah caucuses, as he owns a home in the city of Holladay. Sources close to the prominent Republican noted that the announcement was not an official endorsement. Nevertheless, the spirit of Romney’s remarks are largely in step with the developing “Anybody But Trump” ad hoc movement.

“Today, there is a contest between Trumpism and Republicanism,” Romney wrote. “Through the calculated statements of its leader, Trumpism has become associated with racism, misogyny, bigotry, xenophobia, vulgarity and, most recently, threats and violence. I am repulsed by each and every one of these.”

Shortly thereafter, Donald Trump took to Twitter, blasting Mitt Romney for his public comments. He revisited Romney’s loss to President Obama in the previous election and also made reference to Utah’s prominent population of Mormons. It’s worth noting that Mitt Romney is himself a practicing Mormon.

Trump also took a shot at Romney’s pick for president, referring to second-place GOP contender Ted Cruz with a pejorative moniker.

ted cruz mitt romney

Now that “Little Marco” is out of the race, Donald Trump has taken to referring to rival Ted Cruz as “Lyin’ Ted.” (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Donald Trump continued his salvo by noting Mitt Romney’s previous work with other candidates, getting personal with his characterization of the former candidate as “a mixed up man.”

The flap between Donald Trump and so-called “establishment Republicans” has intensified over the course of recent weeks as the field of GOP contenders has dwindled to just three men: Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich. Although Trump has a significant number of delegates, John Kasich’s big win in Ohio has slowed his momentum and made the possibility of a brokered or contested election even more likely. As of yet, the “Anybody But Trump” movement – which includes the likes of former Bush cabinet member John Sununu – has not coalesced around a single candidate and neither Cruz nor Kasich have indicated a willingness to step aside in hopes that their respective candidacies will ultimately gain enough support to prevent Donald Trump from reaching the White House.

[Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]

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