PARK CITY — President Donald Trump praised U.S. Senate candidate Mitt Romney Friday as a "straight shooter" for predicting the president will "solidly" win a second term in the White House in 2020.

"Well, we're doing well. Look, Mitt's a straight shooter. Whether people love him or don't love him," Trump told reporters before leaving the White House for the G-7 economic summit in Quebec, Canada, according to the Associated Press.

When a reporter reminded the president that Romney called him a "con man" during the 2016 GOP presidential primary, Trump again called him a "straight shooter" and said, "Yeah, he had some very nice things to say. I appreciate that. That's good.”

Romney, who is running for the Senate seat held by retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, had no comment on the president's response.

His opponent in the June 26 GOP primary, state Rep. Mike Kennedy, R-Alpine, said in a statement that he was "glad to see Mitt has decided to stand with President Trump today. We will have to wait and see where he's standing tomorrow."

Thursday, Romney told the more than 200 business and policy leaders gathered for his annual political retreat, many of them big-money donors to his own 2012 presidential bid, that Trump shouldn't have any difficulty getting re-elected.

The president "will be renominated by my party easily and I think he'll be re-elected solidly," Romney said, in part because Democrats "are likely to nominate someone who is really out of the mainstream of American thought and will make it easier for a president who's presiding over a growing economy."

Last month, Romney said during a meeting with the Deseret News and KSL editorial boards that Trump would "probably" face a primary challenge, from Ohio Gov. John Kasich or perhaps retiring Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, a critic of the president.

"I think it's very likely the president will become our nominee in 2020. That's extremely likely," he said, adding that he expected Democrats to lose the White House "by a landslide" because they'll choose a liberal candidate.

He cited former Vice President Joe Biden as a Democratic candidate who would appeal more to mainstream voters, calling Biden "a very talented person. But I don't know that he's of an age or an inclination to do it again."

Biden appeared at Romney's 2017 retreat, known as the Experts and Enthusiasts Summit, and even urged him to run for the Senate.

Trump has "overwhelming support in the party and I do think the economy will continue to do well," Romney told the editorial boards. But he also said there are unforseen events known as black swans that "could change everything."

Romney also said during the Thursday evening speech that he expects Republicans to hold on to control of both the House and the Senate in this year's midterm elections.

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Romney promises 'campaigns are off limits' during his annual political retreat

U.S. Senate candidate Mitt Romney promised the wealthy and influential business and policy leaders gathered for his annual political retreat that "campaigns are off limits the next couple of days."

He has a big lead over Kennedy in the Utah Senate race, according to a recent poll. The winner of the Republican primary election will face Democratic Salt Lake County Councilwoman Jenny Wilson in November.

Even though Romney was one of Trump's toughest critics during the 2016 Republican primary, he was endorsed by the president in a February tweet, shortly after announcing he was running for Senate.

Trump said in the tweet: "@MittRomney has announced he is running for the Senate from the wonderful state of Utah. He will make a great senator and worthy successor to @OrrinHatch, and has my full support and endorsement!"

Former Utah Rep. Jason Chaffetz, a Republican who served as a key campaign surrogate for Romney during the 2012 presidential race, said that when Romney and Trump "agree, they're going to get along just fine."

Chaffetz, now a Fox News contributor, said he expects that if Romney is elected, he'll "take it issue by issue" when it comes to Trump.

"Mitt Romney is too accomplished and professional to make this a personal debate with Donald Trump," the former congressman said. "They certainly will differ on tactics and style, but Mitt's job is to represent Utah. I think he understands that."

He agreed with Romney that Trump won't have much trouble winning re-election.

Some Republican might take on the president, Chaffetz said, "but I don't think it will go very far." He said Trump "is wildly popular, much more so than anybody gives him credit for."

A potential Democratic presidential candidate in 2020 made an appearance at Romney's retreat Friday, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. Schultz, seen as a centrist Democrat, talked about restoring America's damaged "brand." Schultz announced Monday he's stepping down June 26.

Also presenting at the three-day retreat that ends Saturday is former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who considered a run for president in 2016 as an independent.

Except for opening remarks by Romney and others on Thursday night, the retreat has been closed to the media.

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