Jeb Bush calls Donald Trump a 'teddy bear,' says rivals hid in 'witness protection program'

Jeb Bush calls Donald Trump a &quot;teddy bear&quot;

(Image credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

On Thursday night's Republican debate, Fox News host Chris Wallace asked Jeb Bush about his last name and how he deals with being part of the GOP establishment. Bush got there, but first he addressed the missing elephant in the room. "I kind of miss Donald Trump — he was kind of a teddy bear to me," Bush joked. He then turned on his rivals that did show up, accusing them of handling Trump with kid gloves while he took him on. "Everyone else was in the witness protection program," Bush said. Watch below. Peter Weber

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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.