Prominent Republicans weigh third-party run to unseat Trump

Group reportedly led by 2012 presidential contender Mitt Romney has commissioned polling and courted potential challengers

By ToI Staff 15 May 2016, 5:58 am

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In this Jan. 16, 2015, file photo, Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential nominee, speaks during the Republican National Committee's winter meeting aboard the USS Midway Museum in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

A group of prominent Republicans are reportedly examining the possibility of running a third-party candidate that could draw moderate Republicans away from the GOP’s presumptive nominee Donald Trump, denying him the White House.

The group is led by, among others, the party’s 2012 presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, The Washington Post reported Saturday.

The report cited “more than a dozen Republicans involved in the discussions,” and revealed that the group has commissioned polls, begun considering fundraising and is courting possible candidates for the independent slate.

Romney has turned to former Republican primary candidate John Kasich, who withdrew from the race in early May, and Nebraska senator Ben Sasse in an effort to convince them to challenge Trump.

Republican presidential candidate Ohio Governor John Kasich speaks during a town hall meeting in Rockville, Maryland on on April 24, 2016. (AFP Photo/Yuri Gripas)

The effort to prevent a Trump presidency has “intensified” in recent days, the report said, after Trump all but locked up the Republican nomination earlier this month.

Businessman Mark Cuban, whose television personality mirrors Trump’s own, said he was one of the people considered for the position, but added, “I don’t see it happening. There isn’t enough time.”

US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump arrives at the Republican National Committee (RNC) headquarters on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on May 12, 2016 to meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan. (AFP/ Nicholas Kamm)

As the Post and others have noted, the late-in-the-game bid may be too late, as deadlines for submitting names to November ballots are either approaching or already past in many key states.

Many of those named by the Post as involved in the effort, such as Weekly Standard editor William Kristol, are active in the “Never Trump” movement that rejects the brash billionaire and former Democrat as their party’s “standard bearer,” despite his primary victory.