Bush brothers take stage in GOP race, Trump keeps on blasting rivals

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Former US president George W. Bush takes a selfie with a supporter of his brother, Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, at a campaign event in in Charleston, South Carolina, on Monday. Photo: Tribune News Service

Published: 12:26pm, 16 Feb 2016Updated: 12:26pm, 16 Feb 2016

Former US president George W. Bush has launched into the caustic Republican nomination fray in support of his candidate brother Jeb, whose rival Donald Trump unleashed a new round of invective at his challengers.

The political rhetoric in the presidential race has sharpened dramatically since the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primaries earlier this month ahead of next Saturday’s crucial South Carolina primary.

The mini brawls were on the verge of spilling into open warfare ahead of the February 20 vote, the third statewide contest in the long battle for the Democratic and Republican nominations to run for president.

Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush (left), shakes hands with his brother former president George W. Bush in Charleston on Monday. Photo: AP

Jeb Bush, the onetime favourite seeking to build momentum in a state where his dynastic family remains popular, campaigned on Monday - President’s Day in the United States - with his brother, who was making his first appearance stumping for Jeb.

Trump rounded on the former president during Saturday’s debate in a bid to blunt any Bush progress, and he continued the assault Monday at a press conference, slamming George W, who was president during the September 11, 2001 terror attack on the World Trade Centre.

“So you had that. You obviously had the war which was a big mistake. I think few people would say the war in Iraq was a positive,” Trump said.