Did George W. Bush keep us safe? Trump suggests ex-president to blame for 9/11 attacks
Republican presidential front runner’s question forces fellow candidate Jeb Bush to come to his brother’s defence on national security
Donald Trump's latest assault on the GOP establishment comes in the form of harsh questions about President George W. Bush's handling of the 9/11 attacks, forcing Jeb Bush to defend his brother's national security record in Jeb's campaign for the White House.
Candidate Bush has adopted a simple refrain in defence of his brother: “He kept us safe,” he has said.
But Trump's campaign to discredit George Bush for his response to the September 11 attacks and their aftermath has put Jeb Bush on the defensive at a time when Bush's presidential campaign has been floundering.
Trump's 9/11 criticisms began on Friday and escalated on Sunday when he tweeted: “Jeb, why did your brother attack and destabalize [sic] the Middle East by attacking Iraq when there were no weapons of mass destruction? Bad info?” The Trump tweet came on Sunday morning, as CNN aired a pre-taped interview with Jeb Bush.
Trump raised the issue during a Friday interview with Bloomberg News, saying, “The World Trade Centre came down during [George Bush's] reign.” In an interview with The Washington Post on Saturday, Trump listed steps he said Bush should have taken.
Jeb Bush's retort to Trump has been to suggest the real estate mogul is applying an impossible standard, one that intentionally misrepresents Bush's remarks in defence of his brother.