Jeb Bush affectionately nicknames allied lawmaker 'Hurricane Katrina,' flubs Tamir Rice question

Jeb Bush had a rough night in South Carolina

(Image credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

last updated 31 December 2015

Wednesday night wasn't so good for Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush. Hours after the Bush campaign defended its decision to scrap $3 million worth of TV ad buys in Iowa and South Carolina so it can send more staffers to the early voting states, Bush himself took the stage at Hudson's Smokehouse in Lexington, South Carolina. His crowd of about 100 had been warmed up by local state Sen. Katrina Shealy (R), and Bush tried to lighten the mood by nicknaming her after one of the biggest, deadliest hurricanes in U.S. history:

Hurricane Katrina caused at least 1,245 deaths — including 14 in Bush's state of Florida — destroyed much of New Orleans, and is viewed as one of the worst moments of his brother George W. Bush's presidency. Shealy later told CNN's Ashley Killough that she found the nickname "endearing" and "sweet." ABC News' Candace Smith later asked Bush about the widely publicized police shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice in Cleveland — the two officers involved had escaped indictment by a grand jury in the city on Monday, two days earlier. Bush replied that "Chicago has a lot of work to do to rebuild trust."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

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