Trump 'very likely' to be Republican nominee if he wants it, Romney says

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Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said in an interview Wednesday that former President Donald Trump is "very likely" to be the presidential candidate for the Republican Party if he desires. 

The senator's assessment comes days after Ohio senatorial candidate JD Vance – a former critic of Trump – won the Republican primary with the former president's endorsement.

"I don’t delude myself into thinking I have a big swath of the Republican Party," Romney told Politico.

FILE - Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, arrives to watch a speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy live-streamed into the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Romney has been openly critical of other Republicans' rhetoric in political campaigns and on the floor.

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He added, "It’s hard to imagine anything that would derail his support. So if he wants to become the nominee in ‘24, I think he’s very likely to achieve that."

FILE - Senate candidate JD Vance, left, greets former President Donald Trump at a rally at the Delaware County Fairground, April 23, 2022, in Delaware, Ohio, to endorse Republican candidates ahead of the Ohio primary on May 3. (AP Photo/Joe Maiorana, File)

Vance’s win is seen as a victory for the former president, as Trump’s position as the Republican Party’s most popular and influential politician was on the line even though the former president wasn’t on the ballot.

The Ohio Republican started off on a rocky trajectory, struggling to build solid base in the early months of his campaign. In the weeks after Trump's endorsement, Vance shot to first.

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Minutes after Vance's victory was projected, Trump spokesman Taylor Budowich told Fox News that "JD Vance put in tremendous work and has immense political talent—which put him in the position to earn the support of President Trump.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, N.J., Wednesday, July 7, 2021.  (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

"It was the endorsement of President Donald J. Trump that took a candidate who many insiders said was in 4th and at single digits in the polls, and in only two weeks, propelled him into a commanding first-place finish.," Budowich said.

Trump easily won the 2024 GOP presidential nomination straw poll at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Trump, who’s repeatedly flirted with making another presidential run in 2024 to try and return to the White House, captured 59% of ballots cast in the anonymous online straw poll, according to results announced by CPAC earlier this year.

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser and Elizabeth Heckman contributed to this report.