Romney: 'Three-Man Race' Hands Trump GOP Nomination

Boston, MA - One-time presidential nominee Mitt Romney is offering another blueprint for a GOP primary year that's been consistently inconsistent, and this time his warning is stark: clear the field, or say hello to presidential nominee Donald Trump.

The former Massachusetts governor excoriated the GOP frontrunner in deliberately scripted comments earlier this year. At that time, he urged Republicans to rally around an "anyone but Trump" strategy that would stop the New York businessman through John Kasich winning his home state of Ohio and Sen. Marco Rubio clinching Florida.

Obviously, that strategy didn't pan out.

But Romney has persevered in his new role as establishment voice against trump.

In his latest remarks, Romney continues to hold out on a bonafide endorsement. Now, he's suggesting either Kasich or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz should leave the race, if Republicans want to prevent a Trump nomination at the GOP convention in July.

"If they're both going at it aggressively, right until the very end, then I think it's very likely that Mr. Trump wins on the first ballot," Romney said in a preview of this week's David Gregory Show podcast.

Romney told Gregory that Cruz and Kasich divide voters, making it easier for Trump to accumulate winner-take-all congressional districts and states, as he looks poised to do in New York Tuesday. Even if he doesn't net the requisite 1,237 delegates outright, Romney said he believes Trump could still command enough to rally uncommitted delegates to his side.

Romney didn't explicitly call on either of Trump's competitors to drop out, but sketched out the possibilities.

"If either Mr. Cruz or Mr. Kasich decides to become inactive, if you will, after New York, then I think it's likely we get to a contested convention," he said.

Podcast host David Gregory pressed Romney on criticism that his comments simply cement Trumps' support, given his anti-establishment selling point.

"What the overall effect would be, I don't know," Romney demurred. "But, at some point, you do what you think is absolutely right. And I simply could not stand by and say nothing about a candidate who I thought was taking the party, and potentially the country, in a very unfortunate direction."

The real question — is anyone still listening?