U.S. Senate hopeful Mitt Romney backed President Trump's proposed $100 billion tariff threat to China Thursday night, arguing they will "wake up" China and force them to make real changes.

"I think the president is leading with some policies that will wake up our friends in China and they’ll recognize that business as usual is going to have to change," Romney said. "China over the years has taken advantage of the attitude in America, which is we haven’t watched very closely and they’ve been cheating."

Romney, the GOP's 2012 presidential nominee and current top candidate to replace Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, also said that he doesn't expect this to turn into a trade war.

"I don't think we're going to go there," he said during an event in Sandy, Utah, alongside his wife, Ann Romney.

The comments came as Trump announced Friday that he is looking into the possibility of levying an additional $100 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods after China retaliated against Trump's initial $50 billion tariff.

"In light of China’s unfair retaliation, I have instructed the USTR to consider whether $100 billion of additional tariffs would be appropriate under section 301 and, if so, to identify the products upon which to impose such tariffs," the president said in a statement Thursday night.

Romney announced in mid-February that he is running to replace Hatch in the Senate and is likely to succeed him in November. Along with receiving Hatch's blessing, he was also endorsed by Trump, who said he would be a "great senator and a worthy successor" to Hatch, who has served in the Senate since 1977.