Fox Business News senior correspondent Charles Gasparino insisted on Friday that former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney had not actually sworn off running again for president in 2016.
“This is clearly what he is telling people,” Gasparino told host Tom Sullivan, who appeared skeptical. “Romney is clearly, according to the GOP operatives, leaving the door open for a possible 2016 run.”
Gasparino related a story he’d heard about a supporter who approached Romney last week. The supporter had apparently noted that in Romney’s Jan. 30 statement announcing he would not seek the GOP nomination that he used the word “unlikely” at some point.
“I’ve been asked, and will certainly be asked again, if there are any circumstances that will change my mind,” Romney said in his announcement. “That seems unlikely.”
Gasparino repeatedly stressed the word “unlikely.” Sullivan unsuccessfully tried to interrupt several times.
“Mitt Romney is leaving the door that much open for a possible 2016 run,” Gasparino continued, theorizing that Romney would wait until the GOP primaries led to a brokered convention.
“This is what he’s telling people: Be aware of the word ‘unlikely’ in my speech last week,” Gasparino said.
“We haven’t had a brokered convention since, what Kennedy or something?” Sullivan said, laughing.
Gasparino isn’t the only Fox personality undeterred by Romney’s
official statement. Frequent “Outnumbered” host Stacey Dash baffled her
co-panelists the day Romney bowed out by saying he would still end up
running, repeatedly assuring them, “It’s a chess move.”
