Jeb Bush defended himself in two languages in Miami Tuesday against the “daily attacks” he says he receives from Donald Trump, telling Spanish- and English-speaking reporters the real estate billionaire is a liberal who has mischaracterized his positions on immigration.
Following a campaign event at a Presbyterian school, Bush, the former governor of Florida, was asked by reporters about a video Trump released Monday criticizing him for saying last year that illegal immigration is not a crime, but rather an “act of love.”
The video has been compared to the infamous Willie Horton ad because it included photos of several illegal aliens who have been arrested for murder and rape.
Bush responded on Monday with a statement citing Trump’s past support for “liberal, soft-on-crime politicians.” His campaign also released a video of its own on the same theme Tuesday.
He continued the aggressive response during the press gaggle.
Why is Jeb Bush hitting Donald Trump? "Because he attacks me every day," Bush says in Spanish in Miami pic.twitter.com/Qg0f5lJTOi
— Patricia Mazzei (@PatriciaMazzei) September 1, 2015
According to The Washington Post, Bush complained in Spanish that Trump “attacks me every day with barbarities.”
“And beyond that, he personalizes everything,” he continued. “If you’re not totally in agreement with him, you’re an idiot, or stupid, or you don’t have energy or ‘blah blah blah.’ That’s what he does. That doesn’t work – there are millions of people who today are thinking that their future isn’t the way it should be.”
In English, Bush said “it’s all personal for him, sure,” adding that Trump has mischaracterized his views on immigration and border security.
Jeb trashes Trump –but in Spanish. Saying Donald calls people "idiots, stupid..blah..blah..blah.. He attacks me everyday."
— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) September 1, 2015
That was surreal. Bush trashed Trump pretty hard in Spanish for 5 mins. Will English speakers in NH and Iowa ever see it? Doubtful.
— Ed O'Keefe (@edatpost) September 1, 2015
Bush also went bilingual in pointing out Trump’s historical coziness with Democratic politicians.
“He supports people like Nancy Pelosi. He’s given money to Hillary Clinton,” Bush said in Spanish, according to The Post. “He was a Democrat longer than Republican. He’s said that he’s more comfortable being a Democrat.”
Jeb Bush ends Miami press gaggle. Most of it was in Spanish. And most of it was about Donald Trump.
— Patricia Mazzei (@PatriciaMazzei) September 1, 2015
And in English, Bush hammered Trump for flip-flopping on taxes, abortion, and health care.
“His own words were that the single-payer system was a great idea,” Bush said, adding that “most conservatives find that to be perhaps the worst idea.”
Bush also said that while he was governor of Florida, Trump “was supporting Hillary Clinton” and “thinks Hillary Clinton would be a good negotiator as it relates to dealing with Iran.”
“I mean, this guy is not a conservative.”
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