Some say the Republican Party is fractured, with many establishment members wary of Donald Trump becoming the nominee. But not everyone is concerned about how he'll perform should he face off against a Democrat in the November election.
Connecticut Republican Party Chairman J.R. Romano spoke to FOX 61 on Thursday, hours after former Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney publicly condemned Trump and his campaign.
"I fully expect once a nominee is chosen the Republican party will rally behind him, simply because the threat of a Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders presidency is much scarier than anything that I can think of," Romano said.
One encouraging sign, according to Romano, is the excitement surrounding the election, especially by Republican voters. According to Romano, Republicans are turning out in record numbers to vote in the primaries, and many who haven't voted for years or were previously registered as Democrats or Independents are coming out to support a candidate. Meanwhile, Democratic turnout is down since 2012, and especially since 2008.
"That's the important thing here, is that this country, and states like Massachusetts and Connecticut, are rejecting the ideals of larger government, big government spending, higher taxes, which is what Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders will give us: more government control in our lives. And I think that as Americans, Donald Trump has been able to tap into that fear and anxiety that many are feeling."
He addressed those who have been outspoken against Trump from within their party, including Mitt Romney, who on Thursday called Trump "a phony, a fraud," saying "his promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University."
"There's people that are uncomfortable with him in the sense he needs to get more stately, and, you know, as he mentioned in his speech, more presidential. But what scares them more is Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders, Romano said."
He also took the time to point out the reason he thinks is causing low turnout among Democrats so far this year. "I think that when the most exciting thing coming out of the Democratic party is a 70-year-old socialist, I think we're going to be fine."