Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush maintained Thursday that it was not a mistake to attack Sen. Marco Rubio over his voting attendance record during the third GOP debate.
In an interview with Fox News, Bush told “Happening Now” host Jenna Lee it’s actually a “mistake to run for an office and not serve.”
The 2016 hopeful also brushed away comments from an anonymous donor who suggested his campaign was “terminal,” saying those assertions are “pretty funny.”
“No, it wasn’t a mistake. It’s a mistake to run for an office and not serve. He can do both, but the simple fact is he’s not doing that, and a lot of people care about this,” Bush said. “A lot of people are working part-time and want to work full-time. A lot of people are frustrated with their jobs all across this country, but continue to show up for work. A lot of people can’t take time off unless they get a deduction in their pay.”
“That’s the real world. are we craving a separate alternative universe in Washington D.C.? That’s part of the problem,” Bush said. “I think that people can work and can run for office at the same time as well. But to say that’s not important and be frustrated with the job and not show up for committee hearings – not show up when military families are wondering whether there’s going to be a budget for their loved ones overseas. These are serious times.”
Throughout the interview, Lee asked Bush why he felt “compelled to demonize” Rubio, which Bush dismissed bysaying he isn’t “demonizing anyone.” He did, however, go on liken Rubio to President Obama because he doesn’t have experience as a leader.
Bush made the comments after being roundly criticized by anonymous donors and the media for a poor debate performance. Notably, Bush received the second least amount of speaking time, ahead of only Sen. Rand Paul.
“I knew this was going to be a long journey,” Bush told Lee. “But to suggest that the campaign is terminal – come on. That’s pretty funny.”
The former Florida governor currently sits seventh according to the Washington Examiner‘s latest power rankings.
