Donald Trump and Mitt Romney exchange insults
Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee responded Thursday to a barrage of Twitter insults from Donald Trump with a tweet of his own:
Methinks the Donald doth protest too much. Show voters your back taxes, @realDonaldTrump. #WhatIsHeHiding
— Mitt Romney (@MittRomney) February 25, 2016
Their war of words began Wednesday, when Romney in a Fox News interview, suggested that there might be something amiss in Trump's tax returns.
"We're now, you know, in late February and we still haven't seen either Donald Trump's or Marco Rubio's or Ted Cruz's taxes," Romney told Fox's Neil Cavuto. "Frankly, the voters have a right to see those tax returns before they decide who our nominee ought to be."
Of Trump's filings specifically, Romney said they're "likely to be a bombshell."
On the topic of his tax returns, Trump has said only that his campaign will "make that determination over the next couple of months." He has been more voluble in his personal responses to Romney, though. Trump tweeted:
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
And he's been on a roll since that first tweet, lashing out at Romney with the sort of vitriol usually reserved for his rival 2016 contenders.
On Facebook, Trump called Romney a "lightweight losing candidate."
Lightweight losing candidate Mitt Romney asks about my tax returns. I have a store that is worth more than him.
Posted by Donald J. Trump on Thursday, February 25, 2016
Another tweet explained that the photo, of Trump glaring as he looks up from signing a stack of papers, depicted him "signing a recent tax return."
He labeled Romney "one of the dumbest and worst candidates in the history of Republican politics" in a tweet. He punctuated that message with another insult: "Dope!"
Later, in another post on the social media platform, Trump promised that he was "going to do what @MittRomney was totally unable to do- WIN!"
His anti-Romney tirade also grew to encompass another figure in the Republican establishment, opponent Marco Rubio.
Why doesn't @MittRomney just endorse @marcorubio already.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 25, 2016
Should have done it before NH or Nevada where he had a little sway. Too late
now!
Trump has also effectively crowd-sourced the art of the insult to his considerable Twitter following, and he's made it a point to repost his followers' attacks.
"@ahernandez85a: @realdonaldtrump Mr Tough Guy Romney should be backing Trump like Trump backed him last time #NoLoyalty"
"@conservativevin: @ahernandez85a Romney should have been a tough guy with Obama. He cowered and lost. BADLY! He's not relevant!"
"@classyexplorer: @ahernandez85a Romney is a pawn of the Establishment and has no individual thought process. He is jealous of Trump!"
The attacks will likely continue on the Republican debate stage Thursday night, where the remaining five GOP candidates will gather for their last bout before the Super Tuesday nominating contests.