Jeb Bush: The RNC was wrong to uninvite National Review from the debate

Jeb Bush doesn't think National Review should be punished for "just telling the truth." In an interview Friday on Fox News' America's Newsroom, the former Florida governor criticized the Republican National Committee's decision to "disinvite" National Review from the upcoming presidential debate because of its special edition "Against Trump Symposium" issue released Friday.

"I just think it was the wrong thing to do," Bush said. "The National Review is a cherished conservative mouthpiece. It's been in existence for two generations." Moreover, he pointed out, the issues' 22 essays from conservative thinkers explaining why Trump should not become the Republican presidential nominee weren't exactly wrong. "Donald Trump needs to defend why he was supportive of Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton, why he gave money to the foundation, why he gave money to her campaign," Bush said.

The RNC says it dropped National Review's debate sponsorship because "a debate moderator can't have a predisposition," an RNC spokesman told BuzzFeed. Trump has already slammed the publication, calling the magazine a "dying paper" that "people don't even think about."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up