Hours after a New York Times report that
Jeb Bush would go on the attack against surging GOP presidential candidate Sen. Marco Rubio, the Florida lawmaker launched a pre-emptive strike — using Bush's own words of praise for his one-time protege.
The Rubio ad, released Tuesday, comes with the prelude: "Before Jeb Bush started the phony attack, he said this about Marco Rubio" — and then features instances of
Bush's admiration for Rubio, including from a 2012 interview in which he gushes that Rubio had the intelligence "and fortitude to be a good president."
In the montage, Bush expresses his approval for Rubio, saying he was "something the Republican Party needs to have, which is a hopeful, optimistic message based on our principles."
"He's probably the most articulate conservative on the scene today," Bush is seen saying, as well as: "I'm so proud of his high voltage energy, I'm so proud of his enthusiasm, I'm so proud of his eloquence. I'm a huge Marco fan."
According to
The New York Times, the Right to Rise super PAC is behind the planned pro-Bush ads targeting Rubio, going after his hard-line stand against abortion, and his skipping out on votes in the Senate.
"Given their closeness while governing, I find the whole thing baffling," Stuart Stevens, a Republican strategist who oversaw Mitt Romney's 2012 campaign, tells the Times of the Bush strategy.
"I seem not to be alone. I don't see any evidence that it's working."
A national polling average has Rubio in a strong third place, with 11.8 percent, behind Donald Trump, at 24.8 percent, and retired pediatric neurosurgeon Ben Carson, at 24.4 percent. Bush trails in 5th place, with 6 percent support, behind Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's 9.6 percent.
Related Stories:
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.