VIRGNIA BEACH, Va. — Jeb Bush responded to news that his presidential campaign was making substantial financial cuts by emphasizing that he was going “lean and mean.”
“This means lean and mean and I have the ability to adapt,” Bush said in response to a question about his downsizing at Regent University on Friday. “And the circumstances when we started the election were different. I have not met a person that thought Donald Trump would be a front-running candidate at this point. God bless him.”
Bush also renewed his attacks on Republican front-runner Donald Trump.
“We have the front-running candidate who says, ‘Look, when I’m elected president, the first day, Syrian refugees will be sent back to Syria.’ Is that the America that embraces the value of our greatness? No it isn’t,” Bush told the crowd. “America at its best defends the persecuted, defends people who were acting on their faith no matter where they are. Both in our country and outside. But for us, who?”
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Bush chose not to speak from behind a podium during his speech and struck an aggressive tone before a packed auditorium that included former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell.
Publicly, Bush said he is “all in on the primary states including Virginia,” but behind the scenes the Bush team is preparing to place extra emphasis on one state in particular: New Hampshire. According to an internal talking points memo obtained by the Washington Examiner, the campaign will reiterate that “Jeb is in this race for the long haul.”
“It’s no secret that the contours of this race have changed from what was anticipated at the start. We would be less than forthcoming if we said we predicted in June that a reality television star supporting Canadian-style single-payer healthcare and partial-birth abortion would be leading the GOP Primary,” the memo states. “We will take every single step necessary to ensure Jeb is the Republican nominee and next president of the United States. We are unapologetic about adjusting our game plan to meet the evolving dynamics of this race to ensure that outcome.”
Perhaps in order to offset the governor’s downward trend, the former Florida governor has called on his famous family for help. He is raffling off an opportunity to meet his parents — the former president and first lady — later this month. Next week, his brother, former President George W. Bush, will appear at a fundraiser in Washington, D.C., with former White House Chiefs of Staff Andy Card and Josh Bolten.
Onstage, Bush acknowledged his fundraising struggles and said, “This fundraising stuff’s not as easy as people think.”
It remains unclear whether the reinforcements rushing to the governor’s side will help him remain competitive. Bush, who fell to sixth in the Washington Examiner‘s most recent power rankings, finishes fifth in RealClearPolitics’ average of national polls.
