Donald Trump is nothing more than "a junkyard dog" who is "not a committed conservative," Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush told
Newsmax TV in a wide-ranging exclusive interview on Tuesday.
"I seem to be the target of most of his attacks," the former Florida governor told "Newmax Prime" host J.D. Hayworth. "I don’t know why he's so worried about me.
"Maybe he thinks I'm a real threat to him, because I am," Bush said. "I'm the only guy who has taken him on."
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Bush, who served in the Tallahassee State House from 1999 to 2007, also said that:
- He respected Sarah Palin's commitment to conservative principles but added, "I can't explain why she's endorsing this guy," meaning Trump.
- He doubted whether the Justice Department would indict Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the email scandal.
- The Supreme Court would beat back President Barack Obama's executive actions on illegal immigration later this year. "I don't believe the president has the authority."
- His campaign was gaining momentum in such early voting states as Iowa and New Hampshire because "people are making up their minds late. I'm going to campaign with heart."
Regarding Palin's endorsement Tuesday in Ames, Iowa, Trump said that while "I can't explain Sarah Palin's endorsement" that he respected her "commitment to the pro-life cause, the cause of supporting the disabled.
"We share a common bond in that regard.
"She's gifted in many ways," Bush continued. "I can't explain why she's endorsing this guy. All I'm saying is that the record shows that Donald Trump is not a conservative. It's about him — and that's not how we serve.
"We need a commander-in-chief who understands how the world works and believes in America's leadership in the world," he said.
Bush then cited how Trump has waffled on destroying the Islamic State.
"The end of September, Donald Trump said we didn't have a dog in the fight," he told Hayworth. "Then, he said let Russia take care of ISIS, even though they have no interest.
"Putin flatters him," Bush said of Russian President Vladimr Putin, "and he basically says 'Russia can be an ally,' when, in fact, they're doing everything they can to prop up the brutal [Bashar] Assad regime [in Syria].
"He's all over the map," the former governor continued. "He's not a serious candidate in this regard.
"Little by little, I think people — while they may like the fact that he has taken on the establishment and calling people in D.C. a bunch of idiots — people are going to have to wonder whether he's capable of being a serious commander-in-chief and a president who can get things done.
"My hope and my belief is that, as Americans begin to figure this out and sort this out — particularly Republican primary voters — they’re going to want someone with a proven record, who has detailed plans and who has done it already, as I have done in Florida."
Bush also told Hayworth that he agreed with conservative talk-radio hosts Rush Limbaugh and Mark Levin that Trump was "not a committed conservative."
"There's nothing in his record that suggests to me that he's a conservative. He's supported more Democrats over his adult life than Republicans. He wasn't pro-Second Amendment until this year.
"He hasn't been pro-life consistently, to the contrary," the former governor said. "He believes that eminent domain powers should be used for private purposes — his own purposes, of course."
Bush noted how Trump tried to have an elderly woman's home in Atlantic City seized by eminent domain in 1993 — and "she took him to court and she won.
"He wanted to tear down that home and build a parking lot for his limousines for his casino.
"He's gone bankrupt four times says that's a victory, when in fact it’s a loss for his own equity investment — but more importantly for all the employees who lost their jobs and the vendors who lost their businesses.
"This is a guy who is not a conservative," Bush concluded. "He's an incredible personality. He fills the space
"He's captured this sense of frustration that people feel about Washington, but if you're looking for someone who, from day one, can be commander-in-chief, then Trump's not your guy.
"I'm your guy."
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