Mitt Romney on Jeb Bush: ‘A candidate makes mistakes — I’m proof of that’

Former Massachusetts Gov. and 2012 GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney said he thinks former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush would probably like a mulligan on the recent question on the 2003 invasion of Iraq but said that Mr. Bush is a “very capable person” who could raise more money than all the other GOP presidential contenders put together.

“Well, I’m sure he would have liked to have taken it back and get the answer out at the end that he gave and put that at the very beginning, and I think he did misunderstand the question,” Mr. Romney said in an interview that aired Thursday on Fox News’ “The Kelly File” about Mr. Bush’s evolving answer on whether, in hindsight, he would have gone into Iraq in 2003. Mr. Bush ultimately said he would not have.

“But frankly, look, I think Jeb Bush is in a very strong position, he’s a very capable person, he’d been an excellent governor, he’s assembled a top-rate team, and my guess is he’s going to raise more money than perhaps all the other contenders combined,” Mr. Romney said. “A candidate makes mistakes — I’m proof of that … those are not terminal in a setting like this, particularly so early, and I think you have to look and say he’s a pretty impressive guy on a very strong path at this stage.”

Mr. Romney is at his annual “E2 Summit” in Utah this week, a bipartisan gathering with a handful of 2016 GOP contenders slated to attend.

“I want people who are in leadership positions, whether in government or in the private sector or in the voluntary sector to learn from one another about the qualities of leadership and to talk about the direction for the country, and ultimately, some of these people are going to get behind people running for president, and I want them to make as informed a choice as they possibly can,” Mr. Romney said.

For his part, Mr. Romney said he planned to remain “forcefully neutral” in the process.

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