Analyst: Romney speech could help Trump

March 3, 2016 9:36 pm

Former Massachusetts Governor and presidential nominee Mitt Romney delivered a scathing speech against Donald Trump on Thursday.

"Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud, his promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University,” said Romney.

Jim Morone, a Brown University political science professor and director of the public policy program at the Watson Institute agrees with most analysts who say Romney’s efforts will ultimately help Trump.

"By having Romney come out the very embodiment of the old Republican establishment, it plays directly into Trump’s line, he couldn’t have a better poster child for who he is arguing against,” said Morone. "It almost seems tailor made for Trump’s message."

Local supporters of the billionaire agree.

"He certainly helped Donald Trump because he angered the Trump supporters and the people that are on the fence that realize that all this is the political establishment on the Republican side, and I’m a Republican, coming out against Trump because they’re afraid they can’t control him,” said Rep. Joe Trillo, the Honorary Chairman for Trump in Rhode Island.

Romney’s speech comes just days after Trump picked up seven wins on Super Tuesday. His movement has record breaking numbers of Republicans voting, even some Democrats are so motivated they’re switching parties.

Since the start of the year nearly 20 thousand people in Massachusetts have un–enrolled from the Democratic party.

In Rhode Island… just over 2,000 voters disaffiliated from November 1st to the end of January. That’s up more than 500 from the same period in 2012.

With Republican establishment in a panic that Trump may clinch the nomination,

We asked Professor Morone what it would take to avoid that from happening. He says first and foremost they’ll need to figure out how to get the TV cameras away from Trump and onto them.