Mitt Romney late Monday called on Donald Trump to push for the release of a transcript of his meeting with The New York Times editorial board, calling it a potential “bombshell.”
“Another #bombshell? Trump should authorize the @nytimes to release the transcript of his ed board interview,” Romney tweeted, including the hashtag “#WhatIsHeHiding.”
Romney joins Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in an effort to pressure Trump to call on the Times to release a transcript of his off-the-record remarks, speculating they show hypocrisy on illegal immigration.
“Apparently there is a secret tape that The New York Times editorial board has of Donald Trump saying that he doesn’t believe what he’s saying on immigration,” Cruz told reporters in Texas.
The newspaper said it won’t release audio from the off-the-record portion of the meeting, though Editorial Page Editor Andrew Rosenthal told BuzzFeed that Trump could request the transcript be made public.
Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee, has sought to go toe to toe with Trump in recent days, calling on the 2016 GOP front-runner last week to release his tax returns, also suggesting they could include a “bombshell.”
Romney speculated Trump’s tax returns may show he isn’t worth as much as he has claimed, or that he hasn’t donated to veterans groups despite his focus on the issue.
Trump has mostly brushed off Romney’s push, though rivals Cruz and Rubio released their returns over the weekend in an attempt to pressure Trump to do the same.