Mitt Romney dismissed Donald Trump's claims that the delegate process is "rigged." (AP) | AP Photo Romney: Trump will win if both Cruz and Kasich stay in

Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee if both Ted Cruz and John Kasich stay in the presidential race, Mitt Romney warned on Monday.

Cruz and Kasich are splitting the anti-Trump vote, the former Massachusetts governor argued in an interview with David Gregory for the former NBC host’s new podcast, “The David Gregory Show."


"I think that Mr. Cruz and Mr. Kasich divide the vote, if you will, and that will make it easier for Mr. Trump to win the winner-take-all congressional districts and the winner-take-all states and get the delegates he needs to either hit the 1,237 or get close enough to it that he could persuade the uncommitted delegates that he would need to get the victory on the first ballot," Romney said.

If either Cruz or Kasich were to become “inactive” after New York’s primary on Tuesday, however, Republicans would likely move to a contested convention, he said. “If it remains three candidates, I think Mr. Trump wins on the first ballot.”

When asked about Trump’s ability to gain the support of uncommitted delegates and thus secure the nomination, Romney mentioned perks that the billionaire could offer, such as trips on his private plane or resort memberships.

“I think there’s a lot of ways to be persuasive,” he said, adding that it’s conceivable that Trump could win over as many as 50 or 100 uncommitted delegates.

Romney dismissed, however, Trump's repeated complaint that the delegate-selection process is "rigged" against him.

“At this stage, the rules are the rules,” he said, adding that they are similar to those in place during his presidential run in 2012. “If you want to be president, you’re going to have to deal with things far more complicated than Republican delegate rules.”

Romney didn't hint at who he thinks should drop out between Cruz and Kasich, but his call for one of them to quit appears to represent a shift in his thinking.

Previously, he had urged Republicans who oppose Trump to vote strategically for whichever candidate is likely to hurt Trump the most in a given state. In March, he caucused for Cruz in Utah without offering a formal endorsement and stumped for Kasich ahead of the governor’s home-state victory in Ohio’s primary the same month.