Trump calls Romney immigration plan 'crazy'

Real estate mogul Donald Trump on Monday blasted Mitt Romney's immigration plans, saying that his self-deportation policy lost the Latino vote.

In an interview with Newsmax magazine, Trump, a Romney supporter, panned the former GOP nominee's proposal to make conditions so difficult for illegal immigrants that they would leave the country to find better opportunities. The proposal received criticism from both Democrats and Republicans.

"He had a crazy policy of self-deportation, which was maniacal," Trump said. "It sounded as bad as it was, and he lost all of the Latino vote."

In the 2012 presidential election, Romney won 27 percent of the Latino vote, well behind President Obama at 71 percent. Romney's performance also fell short of other recent GOP presidential candidates. In the 2008 election, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) won 31 percent of the Latino vote; in 2004, President George W. Bush won 44 percent

Trump said Democrats won the Latino vote in the last election because they appeared more welcoming.

"The Democrats didn't have a policy for dealing with illegal immigrants, but what they did have going for them is they weren't mean-spirited about it," Trump said. "They didn't know what the policy was, but what they were is they were kind."

President Obama's support among Hispanics was also boosted after he introducted a new directive over th summer protecting illegal immigrants who grew up in the country from being deported provided they met certain criteria. 

Obama has also said he plans to make immigration reform a top priority during his second term.

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