Republican presidential candidate Gov. Jeb Bush distanced himself from his brother George W. Bush at a forum of 14 GOP candidates in New Hampshire Monday night.
“I have a different view than my brother,” Bush said when the moderator asked him about his family. Bush did not elaborate on specific policy differences with his brother.
“My dad is the most perfect man alive, so I can’t say anything critical about him,” Bush added about his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
Jeb Bush has been hesitant to outright criticize his brother on the campaign trail. Former President George W. Bush, meanwhile, has offered public support for Jeb, but the two are reportedly not very close.
Jeb Bush made clear that he intends to fight terrorists.
“This is a war against Western civilization. These are barbarians,” Bush said about the forum, referring to ISIS, but was moderate in his plan for American intervention.
“The idea of boots on the ground, I’m not sure that’s necessary,” Bush said.
On the economy, Bush added that he thinks it’s possible for America to experience 4 percent growth in the near future, and joked, “The fact that [New York Times columnist] Paul Krugman disagrees with me warms my heart.”
Bush also gave a moderate explanation of his support for Common Core educational standards, which has riled many conservatives.
“States ought to create standards,” Bush said. “The federal government should have no role in the creation of standards.” Bush added that the federal government should only “provide support for states that want to have reform.”