Jeb Bush says Donald Trump is 'a chaos candidate and he'd be a chaos president'


Within minutes of the CNN Republican debate starting, candidates Jeb Bush and Donald Trump went toe to toe regarding comments Trump made about banning Muslims from entering the United States.
When asked why earlier he called Trump and his plan "unhinged," Bush said that the Islamic State needs to be destroyed "in the caliphate," and after that happens, "the refugee issue will be solved." Bush said the U.S. needs "to arm the Kurds, in concert with Arab nations. If we're going to ban all Muslims, how are we going to get them to be part of a coalition to destroy ISIS?" Trump's proposal isn't "serious," he added, and it will "push the Muslim world, the Arab world, away from us at a time when we need to re-engage with them." Then came the zinger: "Donald is great at the one-liners, but he's a chaos candidate and he'd be a chaos president," Bush said to cheers. "He would not be the commander-in-chief we need to keep our country safe."
A clearly irritated Trump responded by saying he's sure Bush doesn't "really believe I'm unhinged. He said that very simply because he has failed in this campaign, it's been a total disaster, nobody cares, and frankly I'm the most solid person up here." Trump cited his company and professional success as being proof he's the real deal. "All I want to do is to make America great again," he said. "I don't want our country to be taken away from us."
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.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in 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.
-
'"Andor" examines all sides of how empires operate'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Harvard sues Trump over frozen grant money
Speed Read The Trump administration withheld $2.2 billion in federal grants and contracts after Harvard rejected its demands
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
DHS chief Kristi Noem's purse stolen from eatery
Speed Read Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse was stolen while she dined with family at a restaurant in Washington, D.C.
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump stands by Hegseth amid ouster reports
Speed Read The president dismissed reports that he was on the verge of firing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a second national security breach
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Hegseth reportedly shared war plans in 2nd group text
Speed Read The defense secretary sent information about an attack in Yemen to a Signal group chat that included his wife and brother
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Judge threatens Trump team with criminal contempt
Speed Read James Boasberg attempts to hold the White House accountable for disregarding court orders over El Salvador deportation flights
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US
-
Biden slams Trump's Social Security cuts
Speed Read In his first major public address since leaving office, Biden criticized the Trump administration's 'damage' and 'destruction'
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
El Salvador refuses to return US deportee
Speed Read President Nayib Bukele of El Salvador said he would not send back the unlawfully deported Kilmar Ábrego García
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Trump says electronics tariff break won't last
Speed Read The tariff exemptions on smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices are temporary, the administration says
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Man charged in arson attack on Pennsylvania's Shapiro
Speed Read Governor Josh Shapiro and his family were sleeping when someone set fire to his Harrisburg mansion
By Peter Weber, The Week US