Ex-Bush strategist gives Mitt Romney pointers on how to stop Trump — if he really wants to

Matthew Dowd, who previously worked for George W. Bush's campaigns, wants Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) to put up or shut up.

Romney wrote an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal Monday in which he complained that large donors should agree to put their support behind the candidate most likely to beat Donald Trump in a primary race. But if Romney really wanted to do something to change the Republican Party and stop it from devolving into Trumpism, he could take real actions personally, Dowd said.

"Donald Trump is already over a plurality and in the polls a majority," said Dowd. "If he was going to do this effort, it probably should have taken place, in my view, six months ago before Donald Trump hit 50 percent in the polls. Even if half the candidates drop out, he's still at over 50 percent and wins the winner takes all states in the course of this."

He went on to explain megadonors don't control the GOP process anymore.

"It is controlled by small donors, and Donald Trump has shown that his ability to raise money, 30, 40, $50 at a time, and he can out raise anybody else," said Dowd. "Mitt Romney wants to signal to megadonors what to do in this process. They really don't control the process. The students are in charge of campus today, and the deans have left town. And that's what Mitt Romney doesn't seem to understand about the Republican Party."

So, if Romney wants to make a true difference, Dowd has suggestions.

"If Mitt Romney really wanted to have an effect, Mitt Romney could stand up and say, me, and Sen. [Lisa] Murkowski (R-AK) and maybe one or two others, if Donald Trump is the nominee, we're going to become independents and caucus with the Democrats in the Senate in order to hold the MAGA side of the party accountable.

"That would send more shock waves through the system and maybe get people to actually do something about Donald Trump, but as of today, Donald Trump is Katie Ledecky and he's already passed the Republican Primary voters in this, and he's riding in their wake on the way back to the finish line."

See the full conversation in the video below or at the link here.

Ex-Bush strategist gives Mitt Romney examples of what he can do to stop Trump — if he really wantsyoutu.be