Ex-Romney aide: Trump pushed birtherism to win “rightwing crazies”

A former aide to 2012 GOP nominee Mitt Romney said Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump had previously pushed the birther argument to appeal to “rightwing crazies.”

“I recorded a lot @realDonaldTrump better hope I didn’t record him telling us to use birther argument bc ‘rightwing crazies will believe it,'” Garrett Jackson tweeted on Thursday.

I recorded a lot @realDonaldTrump better hope I didn’t record him telling us to use birther argument bc “rightwing crazies will believe it”

— Garrett Jackson (@dgjackson) March 4, 2016

{mosads}Trump and Romney attacked each other on Thursday; Romney called Trump a “phony” and said he could not win in a general election against Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton. He also questioned Trump’s business successes.

Trump shot back at Romney during a rally Thursday, calling Romney a failed candidate saying he lost an election he should have won. Trump, who endorsed Romney in 2012, also said Romney had begged him for the endorsement.

“He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said, ‘Mitt, drop to your knees.’ He would’ve dropped to his knees.”

I was with Mitt every time he saw @realDonaldTrump and guarantee Mitt never begged Trump. Wish I would’ve recorded Trump kissing Mitt’s ass

— Garrett Jackson (@dgjackson) March 4, 2016