Bill Kristol, son of Irving, names Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney, Tom Cotton, and others on his hypothetical shortlist of third-party candidates that he could run if Donald Trump becomes the Republican nominee.

The “Weekly Standard” editor and self-styled neoconservative power broker is back to talking about a third party, declaring that a Trump victory in Indiana would force him to re-focus on his so-called “Latter-Day Republicans” independent ticket. A third party could help to split the vote on the Right and elect Hillary Clinton president, which would allow Kristol to stave off the Trump threat and regain control of the party in 2020 without actually having to formally support Clinton.

If Indiana goes south, focus turns to an independent race. (And FWIW, Texas's early deadline probably won't stand up to legal challenge). — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 23, 2016

But Kristol now has a shortlist of predictable options, including Mitt Romney and neoconservative rising star Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas.

Just spitballing here. Lots of varieties of indie tickets: Centrist: Mattis-Rhee. Young: Sasse-Kinzinger. Conservative: Gen. Kelly-Cotton. — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 23, 2016

More spitballing: Some more possible independent tickets: Pompeo-Willett; Abbott-Haley; Fiorina-Tim Scott; Kyl-Lieberman; Romney-Rubio. — Bill Kristol (@BillKristol) April 23, 2016

The Republican National Committee (RNC) already condemned Kristol’s third-party plot for undermining the GOP’s efforts to defeat Hillary Clinton.

RNC spokesman Sean Spicer tells Breitbart News that “any effort to facilitate a third party ultimately is helping to elect Hillary Clinton.”

“The Republican Party must be united to take back the White House,” Spicer said.

Junior Nebraska Republican senator Ben Sasse has been talking for a while now about helping to organize a third-party campaign if Trump wins the nomination on the strength of the people’s will.