Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush defended his brother, former President George W. Bush, against criticism from Donald Trump Wednesday night, saying “he kept us safe.”
“Your brother and your brother’s administration gave us Barack Obama,” Mr. Trump taunted the former Florida governor. “It was such a disaster those last three months [of George W. Bush’s administration] that Abraham Lincoln couldn’t have been elected.”
Jeb Bush retorted, “As it relates to my brother, there’s one thing I know for sure: he kept us safe.” The audience at the debate cheered.
“You remember the rubble [at the World Trade Center]?” Mr. Bush asked. “He sent a clear signal that the United States would be strong, and fight Islamic terrorism, and he did keep us safe.”
Mr. Trump replied, “You feel safe right now? I don’t feel so safe.”
The GOP frontrunner said he was the “only person” on the stage who opposed George W. Bush’s invasion of Iraq in 2003.
“I’m a very militaristic person, but you have to know when to use the military,” Mr. Trump said. “It’s about judgment. I didn’t want to go into Iraq, and I fought it. I said you’re going to destabilize the Middle East.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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