Mitt Romney to Speak on 2016 Presidential Race

Romney has been critical of 2016 front-runner Donald Trump on Twitter in recent weeks and has yet to endorse any of the candidates

Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will address the state of the 2016 race for the White House in a speech on Thursday. 

The 2012 GOP presidential nominee announced plans to deliver the speech at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Romney has been critical of 2016 front-runner Donald Trump on Twitter in recent weeks and has yet to endorse any of the candidates.

Romney called Trump's refusal to immediately disavow former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke's support "disqualifying."

Trump said he had not understood the interviewer who first raised the question about Duke, and he did later repudiate him. "How many times do I have to continue to disavow people?" he said.

Romney said last week that Trump's foot-dragging on releasing his tax returns suggests the billionaire real estate mogul has something to hide.

The former Massachusetts governor also said he believes Trump has the clearest path to the Republican nomination and that there is "a slimmer and slimmer opening" for his rivals unless the field narrows.

Trump endorsed Romney in 2012 but has been deeply critical of Romney's performance as a candidate since mounting his own run.

The GOP front-runner tweeted ahead of Romney's speech, saying the "man who should have easily beaten Barrack (sic) Obama" will be "having a news conference tomorrow to criticize" him.

Romney's office says the speech is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. EST.

Copyright The Associated Press
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