Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey predicts “that if Donald Trump ends up being the nominee, he will carry more states than any Republican since Ronald Reagan.”

Ramsey made the comments to reporters Wednesday following a post primary statement the night prior in which he promised to back Trump if the real estate mogul becomes the Republican nominee. Ramsey didn’t endorse Trump at the news briefing, but explained why he believes The Donald is on a fast track to the GOP nomination, the Nashville Post reports.

“It wasn’t a statement that this was my man or anything like that, but at the same time, we better get ready because I think he’s going to be the man,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey believes it was possibly a mistake for Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam to have endorsed Florida Sen. Marco Rubio shortly before Super Tuesday. He also took aim at “establishment” Republicans in Washington who “flat out don’t get” Trump’s appeal.

“I’ll make a prediction right now: that Donald Trump ends up being the nominee, he’ll carry more states than any Republican president since Ronald Reagan,” Ramsey said, according to WATE. “I just feel he appeals to a group who feels they have been left out forever.”

He pointed out that Republican turnout is 50 percent higher than the last two primaries, and elaborated on the complicated dynamic between the party’s establishment leadership and its grassroots voters.

“So, some of the establishment that have been in Washington, D.C. for decades don’t get this, that people are upset, tired of open borders, tired not listening to them on spending more money than we have and on and on and on,” Ramsey said. “It’s somewhat ironic, I suppose, that during McCain and during Romney, you had the establishment say to the grassroots, ‘This is the man, hold your nose and vote for him.’ And this time it’s exactly the opposite, you have the grassroots saying, ‘No, this is our man. You better hold your nose,’ to the establishment. I think that is what it is.”

Ramsey and a reporter discussed the fact that Reagan carried 49 states in the 1984 election, prompting the Senator to clarify his comments regarding Reagan.

“And so I’m predicting (Trump will) carry more than Romney or McCain did, or anybody since then. Not more than Reagan. No, no, … I said He’ll carry more states than any Republican has since then …”

The fact that Trump took nearly every county in Tennessee in the Republican primary with an astounding turnout isn’t a bad thing, he said.

“I had a former state rep from Bradley County … text me and said, ‘Where are these people coming from? I don’t even recognize – My wife voted in Sullivan County, took an hour and a half to vote.’ … That’s what I’m talking about,” Ramsey said, according to the Post.

“When you’ve got a 50 percent jump in people voting in the primary, (Democrat participation) dropped by 25 to 50 (percent), according to which state you look at, I think that bodes well for November.”