Competition really does bring out the worst in some people. And listening to the mean-spirited words flying out of Donald Trump's mouth, you'd think he'd always had a deep-seated disdain for fellow Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush. Trump has dismissed Bush's immigration stance as "baby stuff." Bush's education proposals? "Pathetic," says Trump. The GOP's most inflammatory 2016 candidate even tweeted earlier this week that Bush likes "Mexican illegals because of his wife," who was born and raised in Mexico, before deleting the tweet.
But wind the clock back 15 years, and Trump's tune on Bush sounds a whole lot different.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
Trump went on to call Bush "bright, tough, and principled" and predicted that "we could get another president from the Bushes" and Jeb could very well "be the one."
And that education policy that Trump now thinks is pathetic? Back in 2000, he called Bush's approach "good policy." Trump, in fact, used to support Bush so much that he co-hosted a fundraiser for Bush's gubernatorial election campaign at Trump Tower in Manhattan in December 1997. CNN reports that this $500-a-head fundraiser was key in helping Bush defeat his Democratic rivals.
-
How robust is the rule of law in the US?In the Spotlight John Roberts says the Constitution is ‘unshaken,’ but tensions loom at the Supreme Court
-
Magazine solutions - December 26-January 2Puzzles and Quizzes Issue - December 26-January 2
-
Venezuela ‘turning over’ oil to US, Trump saysSpeed Read This comes less than a week after Trump captured the country’s president
-
Hegseth moves to demote Sen. Kelly over videospeed read Retired Navy fighter pilot Mark Kelly appeared in a video reminding military service members that they can ‘refuse illegal orders’
-
Trump says US ‘in charge’ of Venezuela after Maduro grabSpeed Read The American president claims the US will ‘run’ Venezuela for an unspecified amount of time, contradicting a statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
CBS pulls ‘60 Minutes’ report on Trump deporteesSpeed Read An investigation into the deportations of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador’s notorious prison was scrapped
-
Trump administration posts sliver of Epstein filesSpeed Read Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, though new photos of both Donald Trump and Bill Clinton emerged
-
Trump HHS moves to end care for trans youthSpeed Read The administration is making sweeping proposals that would eliminate gender-affirming care for Americans under age 18
-
Jack Smith tells House of ‘proof’ of Trump’s crimesSpeed Read President Donald Trump ‘engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election,’ hoarded classified documents and ‘repeatedly tried to obstruct justice’
-
House GOP revolt forces vote on ACA subsidiesSpeed Read The new health care bill would lower some costs but not extend expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies
