Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush told a New Hampshire voter Friday that he doesn’t understand their life.
“I am from Florida. I don’t understand your life,” Bush told a voter who asked a question about ethanol mandates in fuel, according to Patrick Derenze, an observer of Bush’s speech at the “Politics and Eggs” breakfast in Concord.
Derenze, questioned by The Daily Caller, maintained that Bush was not joking.
Bush also reportedly said in his remarks that he’s “seriously considering” running for president and that his brother has a high approval rating in Africa due to his signing of the PEPFAR anti-AIDS initiative.
Bush also told a TV reporter “Calm down, big man” because the reporter was “over-eager,” according to a mainstream reporter’s account.
The “Politics and Eggs” breakfast was held at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics Friday morning. Bush reportedly drew the largest crowd at the forum so far among Republican contenders.