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Published January 23, 2017
This is a rush transcript from "On the Record," March 3, 2016. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: 2012 GOP presidential candidate Mr. Herman Cain goes ON THE RECORD.
Good evening, sir.
And why do you think Governor Romney came out there today and said those things?
HERMAN CAIN, 2012 GOP PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is so out of character for Mitt Romney. It is so not Mitt. I happen to believe that he was trying to do a Hail Mary pass on behalf of Marco Rubio. Because many of these insults and accusations of Donald Trump came from the Marco Rubio talking points. I am convinced because I have seen a pattern.
Secondly, six months ago, many of the establishment Republicans and conservatives, they didn't take Donald Trump seriously, and they thought he would flame out. Well, he didn't flame out.
Now, they are desperate. They thought he is going to flame out on Super Tuesday, when he picked up seven states, and he didn't. So now this is a desperate attempt on the part of the establishment, and that includes establishment Republicans, establishment conservatives, the so-called PEW conservatives. They are all trying to bring down Trump. This is a Hail Mary pass, and Mitt Romney has set himself up to be the poster guy for the establishment going against the will of the people.
VAN SUSTEREN: Well, you know, it's sort of interesting because Donald Trump, I mean, I guess so far has played by the rules. I mean, he has participated in all the contests and gone to the debates he is supposed to.
And you have William Kristol, who is "The Weekly Standard" editor, a conservative magazine saying that he would put forward an independent Republican ticket. So now there's sort of a third party is coming out of the people who lost or who are seen to be losing, but then the Republican Party, now they are talking about doing the independent or third party.
CAIN: Bill Kristol, I know, and I'm disappointed in him and all of the others. All of these establishment folk, they believe that they are kingmakers. No, they are not.
The American people are speaking. They are saying, many of them, that we want Donald Trump. And what upsets me the most, Greta, is the fact that the people are saying one thing, huge turnouts. Record number of primaries being won by Donald Trump. But, yet, these establishment folk are saying, well, we want to select the candidate, not let the election play out like Mike Huckabee talked about yesterday.
This is why I'm on the side of let the people speak. Let the people vote. That's the way it was intended to be.
VAN SUSTEREN: Well, you know, the people are speaking. You should see my emails. People are offended. They talk about the arrogance of people in the Republican Party.
CAIN: Yes.
VAN SUSTEREN: Telling them that their vote is a stupid vote or a bad vote or whatever. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised if this back fired because most people out there who voted for Trump so far in the 10 states or whatever we have had so far, they believed them and now they are being insult by the people in the Republican Party who don't like their choice.
CAIN: Greta, I didn't get one phone call today on my radio show and I got a lot of phone calls. They were all about Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump. Nobody called up and said that they were going to go with the establishment. They all were disgusted with the establishment led by Mitt Romney with this anti-Trump campaign. And I believe as you believe, it could potentially back fire in a big way.
VAN SUSTEREN: Mr. Herman Cain, thank you, sir, for joining us.
CAIN: Anytime, Greta. Thank you.
https://www.foxnews.com/transcript/herman-cain-romney-tried-to-make-hail-mary-pass-on-behalf-of-rubio