In op-ed, Jeb Bush says Donald Trump has a 'shocking lack of knowledge' about national security


The back and forth between Jeb Bush and Donald Trump on whether George W. Bush is to blame for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks continues, this time with Bush writing an op-ed for National Review accusing Trump of having "dangerous views on national-security issues."
Last week, Trump told Bloomberg that the World Trade Center came down under George W. Bush's watch, adding: "He was president, okay?... Blame him, or don't blame him, but he was president." Since then, Trump and Jeb Bush have traded barbs on Twitter and during television appearances, with Bush's op-ed published Tuesday continuing the feud. Trump, Bush writes, is echoing "the attacks of Michael Moore and the fringe Left" against his brother, and "has expressed a willingness to allow Vladimir Putin to dominate the Middle East by aligning with Iran and propping up the ruthless Syrian dictator, Bashar al-Assad — an action that would only worsen the existing refugee crisis and endanger our national security interests and those of Israel."
By looking at Trump's previous statements about foreign policy and leaders, Bush says it's easy to see that he's in over his head. "Let's be clear: Donald Trump simply doesn't know what he's talking about," he wrote. "And his bluster overcompensates for a shocking lack of knowledge on the complex national security challenges that will confront the next president of the United States." Bush used the op-ed to share some of his ideas, writing that he will "strengthen the NATO alliance and use America's newly realized status as an energy superpower to lessen others' dependence on Russian oil and gas, and the advantage it gives Putin" and "have a strategy to defeat ISIS and Assad and protect American interests in the region." Read the full op-ed at the National Review.
Subscribe to 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.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
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.
-
Eighty years after Hiroshima: how close is nuclear conflict?
Today's Big Question Eight decades on from the first atomic bomb 'we have blundered into a new age of nuclear perils'
-
Valle dell'Erica Thalasso & Spa: a tranquil haven in Sardinia
The Week Recommends This family-friendly resort is steps from the sea and boasts a well-equipped kids' club
-
America's controversial path to the atomic bomb
In Depth The bombing of Hiroshima followed years of escalation by the U.S., but was it necessary?
-
India rejects Trump threat over Russian oil
Speed Read The president said he would raise tariffs on India for buying and selling Russian oil
-
NY's Hochul vows response to Texas gerrymander
Speed Read Gov. Kathy Hochul has promised to play ball with redistricting that favors the Democrats
-
Texas Democrats exit state to block redistricting vote
Speed Read More than 51 legislators fled the state in protest of the GOP's plan to redraw congressional districts
-
Trump criticized for firing BLS chief after jobs report
Speed Read Bureau of Labor Statistics chief Erika McEntarfer oversaw a July jobs report that the president claims was rigged
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest