Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush turns to his brother — former President George W. Bush — to be his closest adviser on U.S.-Israeli policy.
“If you want to know who I listen to for advice, it’s him,” Bush said at a closed-door event hosted by Republican donor Paul Singer in Manhattan this week, according to the Washington Post.
Bush, who has already formed an exploratory committee, is expected to launch his 2016 presidential campaign sometime this summer.
“Gov. Bush has said before that his brother is the greatest ally to Israel in presidential history, he admires his stalwart support for our ally, and that is in line with his commitment to standing with Israel in the face of great threats to their security and our own,” Jeb Bush spokesman Tim Miller said in a statement Thursday, defending Bush’s statement.
According to one in attendance at the fundraising event, there “didn’t seem to be any negative reaction,” to Bush naming his brother as his closest adviser on Israel.
Last month, however, George W. Bush made it a point to emphasize how different the two are when it comes to politics.
“You won’t see me out there,” the 43rd president said about the two being brothers should Jeb Bush decide to run in 2016, so he “doesn’t need to defend me.”
