Even as the Republican Party gets set to officially choose the presidential nominee, former presidential candidate Jeb Bush continues to trash Donald Trump.
Though he believes the road to the November election will be “entertaining politics,” Bush still stands his ground in opposition to Trump, saying that he is not the future of the GOP, in a Washington Post op-ed published Friday.
“While he has no doubt tapped into the anxiety so prevalent in the United States today, I do not believe Donald Trump reflects the principles or inclusive legacy of the Republican Party,” Bush wrote. “And I sincerely hope he doesn’t represent its future.”
The former Florida governor, once the GOP favorite candidate, dropped out of the presidential race following the South Carolina primary. Still an anti-Trump holdout, Bush vowed not to vote for Trump and said he would not be attending the Republican National Convention which will begin Monday.
Bush blasted Trump in the op-ed as “a candidate who continues to grotesquely manipulate the deeply felt anger of many Americans.”
“Trump’s abrasive, Know-nothing-like nativist rhetoric has blocked out sober discourse about how to tackle America’s big challenges,” Bush continued.
“As much as I reject Donald Trump as our party leader, he did not create the political culture of the United States on his own,” Bush added.
On the heels of Trump’s announcement of Indiana Gov. Mike Pence as his running mate, Bush tweeted what seemed like a backhanded compliment.
Mike Pence is a good man. He will add value to the ticket.
— Jeb Bush (@JebBush) July 16, 2016
As a life-long Republican, Bush admitted he did not know how he would be voting in November.
“I haven’t decided how I’ll vote in November — whether I’ll support the Libertarian ticket or write in a candidate — but I do know there are a lot of things Republicans can do in the coming months to lay the groundwork for rebuilding our party and the foundation for a true conservative renewal in our country,” he wrote.
He called on Republicans to retain control of Congress and “move beyond the daily fray of who is disparaging whom on Twitter.”
“This year has taught us the risks of letting personalities run roughshod over substance and principle,” Bush wrote.
“Let’s reintroduce civility, ideas and optimism back into politics. Let’s find ways to campaign and govern inclusively. Let’s find ways to ease the angst and fear of people, without cynically feeding it.”
Perhaps this son and brother of former presidents has already set his sights on a 2020 presidential run?
“We can renew our country by applying conservative principles and aspirational politics over the long haul,” he wrote, Â “but it will take stick-with-it-ness and strong leadership in the years to come.”
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Frieda@bizpacreview.com
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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