Jeb Bush equates Donald Trump to Barack Obama, offers to unify the country

Jeb Bush.
(Image credit: Kayana Szymczak/Getty Images)

In Iowa on Monday, Jeb Bush equated Donald Trump to President Obama, inferring that both men make inflammatory statements in order to cause divisions.

"Whether it's Donald Trump or Barack Obama, their rhetoric of divisiveness is wrong," the GOP presidential candidate said, according to a statement issued by his campaign Tuesday. "On our side, there are people that prey on people's fears and their angst as well. I don't know about you, but I think it is wrong. I believe we need to unify our country. We need to stop tearing, separating ourselves by race and ethnicity and income. We need to focus on what ties us together." He said he's certain a Republican "can win, and will win, if we have an aspirational message that gives people hope that their lives will be better when we apply conservative principles the right way."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.