Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump said Wednesday that former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is “embarrassed” by his showing thus far in the 2016 presidential race and that he has been forced to go after Mr. Trump.
“Well, look — Jeb has had a very hard time, he’s way down in the polls, he’s doing very poorly, he’s embarrassed by what’s happening, so he has to attack me to try and get his numbers up, and I don’t think it’s going to work,” Mr. Trump said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Mr. Trump had been reading part of a new piece from Mr. Bush in National Review in which Mr. Bush compares Mr. Trump to liberal filmmaker Michael Moore for his recent comments on the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
“That Trump echoes the attacks of Michael Moore and the fringe Left against my brother is yet another example of his dangerous views on national-security issues,” Mr. Bush wrote.
“You know, to compare me to Michael Moore — that’s a first. That one hasn’t happened before,” Mr. Trump said.
Mr. Trump has said comments the former governor made during the second GOP debate, that former President George W. Bush kept the country “safe,” are inaccurate, pointing out that the 9/11 attacks happened on the former president’s watch.
Mr. Trump has also argued that his own hardline immigration policies could have prevented the attacks.
Mr. Bush, the former governor, has pushed back, saying his brother’s response in the wake of the tragedy was widely praised.
Mr. Trump also said Wednesday that “the last thing we need is another Bush.”
“We’ve seen what happens, and the last thing we need is another Bush, and he understands that and the voters understand that,” Mr. Trump said.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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