Donald Trump has been at war for the past two days with yet another big-name Republican: Mitt Romney, the last GOP nominee for president — who is now taking on the party’s current frontrunner by using an issue that had wounded him in 2012.
The tack: Calling upon The Donald to release all of his tax returns — which Romney noted was a big issue during his own campaign in 2012. Democrats had repeatedly pressured him to reveal more about his tax payments. Even after he released two years’ worth of taxes — showing nearly all of his income was in the form of capital gains, which are taxed at a low rate of 15 percent — his opponents continued to dog him throughout the election. The campaign eventually released a declaration stating that he had paid an effective rate of 20.2 percent in federal taxes over the previous 20 years.
“I think there’s something there,” Romney said Wednesday, during an appearance on Fox News. “Either he’s not anywhere near as wealthy as he says he is, or he hasn’t been paying the kind of taxes we would expect him to pay.”
Romney continued: “The reason I think there’s a bombshell in there is because every time he’s asked about his taxes, he dodges and delays and says ‘well, we’re working on it.’ Hey, we’re not talking about the taxes that are coming due this year… We’re talking about taxes that are already filed.”
Romney continued to raise questions about Trump: “Perhaps he hasn’t been giving money to the veterans or to the disabled, like he’s been telling us he’s been doing. I think that’s the reason there’s a bombshell.”
This got Trump going off against Romney Wednesday night — and reminding everyone just how eager Romney was to get his endorsement and campaign with him back in 2012.
Mitt Romney,who totally blew an election that should have been won and whose tax returns made him look like a fool, is now playing tough guy
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2016
When Mitt Romney asked me for my endorsement last time around, he was so awkward and goofy that we all should have known he could not win!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2016
The Donald continued on this warpath into Thursday:
Mitt Romney, who was one of the dumbest and worst candidates in the history of Republican politics, is now pushing me on tax returns. Dope!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2016
Why doesn’t @MittRomney just endorse @marcorubio already.
Should have done it before NH or Nevada where he had a little sway. Too late
now!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2016
Just for your info, tax returns have 0 to do w/ someone’s net worth. I have already filed my financial statements w/ FEC. They are great!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2016
And then there was this very interesting, almost Freudian exercise:
Signing a recent tax return- isn’t this ridiculous? pic.twitter.com/UdwqF4iZIZ
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2016
And then to cap it off, there was this kick at the last GOP nominee — because if there’s just one kind of person Trump will always hate, it’s a loser:
I’m going to do what @MittRomney was totally unable to do- WIN!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2016
Thursday afternoon, Romney responded:
Methinks the Donald doth protest too much. Show voters your back taxes, @realDonaldTrump. #WhatIsHeHiding
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 25, 2016
The effort continues to stop Trump’s hostile takeover of the GOP. So can a man who knows a thing or two about buying out failed businesses make a difference?
Photo: Former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney gestures as he speaks at the Republican National Committee Winter Meeting in San Diego, California January 16, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Blake
