Former Florida governor Jeb Bush offered a rhetorical hat tip to one-time rival President Trump on Friday for the nation’s surging economy.
The man deemed “low-energy Jeb” on the 2016 campaign trail by Mr. Trump took to Twitter to marvel at America’s high-octane economic growth — 4.1 percent in the second quarter.
“Today’s news confirms that 4% growth isn’t just aspirational, it’s achievable through policies that unleash the power of the market,” Mr. Bush wrote. “Credit to @POTUS’s economic policies. To sustain this growth, we must pursue a free trade agenda and move to a merit-based immigration system.”
Mr. Bush was one of the billionaire’s staunchest critics during the 2016 presidential election cycle.
“I can’t vote for Hillary Clinton and I can’t vote for Donald Trump, and it breaks my heart,” Mr. Bush said during a July 2016 interview on MSNBC. “This is my the first time in my adult life I’m confronted with this dilemma.”
Politico noted the bitter-sweet news for Mr. Bush by revisiting his 2015 assertion that 4 percent growth was indeed possible.
SEE ALSO: Second-quarter GDP surges to 4.1 percent, showing strength of ‘Trump economy’
“The target … was ’104% nonsense’ according to a Vox headline,” the website wrote on Friday. “’Economists on Bush’s Promise: Close to 0 Percent Chance of 4 Percent Growth,’ was the headline on a blog post from The New York Times’ ’Upshot’ blog. Economists who spoke to Politico at the time were equally skeptical.”
President Trump told reporters that the nation’s annual growth rate is the highest it’s been in over 13 years.
“We’ve turned it all around,” Mr. Trump said. “These numbers are very, very sustainable. This isn’t a one-time shot. America is being respected again and America is winning again because we’re finally putting America first.”
Today’s news confirms that 4% growth isn’t just aspirational, it’s achievable through policies that unleash the power of the market. Credit to @POTUS’s economic policies. To sustain this growth, we must pursue a free trade agenda and move to a merit-based immigration system.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) July 27, 2018
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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