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| Donald Trump endorses Mitt Romney 2011 |
Exclusive excerpt from Jim Heath’s Front Row Seat at the Circus.
Throughout most of 2011, Trump—who owns resorts, golf clubs and business properties around the world—was rumored to be “seriously interested” in seeking the GOP nomination. Trump’s vast wealth made the Romneys, Bushes and Kennedys look like paupers. Polls had Trump leading all of his potential rivals; one had him up by eleven points over Romney. There wasn’t too much concern, however. Many believed “the Donald” was simply using a potential run to generate publicity for his reality TV show The Apprentice.
Sure enough, in May 2011 Trump bowed out stating, “I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and, ultimately, the general election.”
For months the GOP candidates tripped over each other hoping for a Trump endorsement. Rick Perry, Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and Romney all courted the billionaire. The only endorsement more coveted by conservatives came from the less public, but infinitely wealthier, Koch brothers. Finally, in early 2012, Trump announced he was backing Romney, despite having said about him earlier, “He’d buy companies. He’d close companies. He’d get rid of jobs. I’ve built a great company. My net worth is many many times Mitt Romney.”
The endorsement, held at Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas, lasted only six minutes. Romney, with his wife Ann by his side—both with uncomfortable forced smiles, holding hands in a death grip—offered this memorable soundbite, “There are some things that you just can’t imagine happening in your life. This is one of them.”
Only Ron Paul refused to step into Trump’s sideshow. “I don’t think he has that much credibility. I’m the only candidate that didn’t kiss his ring. I don’t understand why people pay any attention to him.” Later, Paul called Trump a “dangerous authoritarian on a power trip.”
That about sums it up.