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Jeb Bush demands Donald Trump apologize for 'completely inappropriate' comment about his wife
(REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson)
Republican U.S. presidential candidate businessman Donald Trump (L) speaks as former Florida Governor and fellow candidate Jeb Bush reacts during the second official Republican presidential candidates debate of the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, United States, September 16, 2015.
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) demanded an apology from real-estate magnate Donald Trump for what he called a "completely inappropriate" comment about Bush's wife, who is Mexican-American.
A CNN moderator asked Bush if Trump went "too far" when he allegedly said Bush would have a "soft spot" for people from Mexico because of his wife.
"He did. He did. You're proud of your family just as I am. To subject my wife into the middle of a raucous political conversation was completely inappropriate. And I hope that you apologize for that, Donald," Bush said.
Trump said he had heard "phenomenal things" about Columba Bush and that she is a "lovely person." Bush informed Trump that she was in the debate audience, and asked for an apology.
"She is absolutely the love of my life and she's right here [in the audience]. And why don't you apologize to her right now?" Bush said.
Trump refused.
"I won't do that, because I said nothing wrong," Trump said.
That prompted Bush to launch into a lengthy defense of his wife, who he said was an "American by choice" and "loves this country as much as anybody in this room," taking a subtle dig at Trump's past controversial statements on Mexican immigrants.
"So here's the deal. My wife is a Mexican-American. She's an American by choice. She loves this country as much as anybody in this room. And she wants a secure border," Bush said.
"But she wants to embrace the traditional American values that make us special and make us unique. We're at a crossroads right now: Are we going to take the Reagan approach? The hopeful, optimistic approach? … Or the Donald Trump approach? The approach that says that 'everything is bad,' that 'everything is coming to an end.'"
Trump got the last word in the exchange, dinging Bush for a much-ridiculed remark on the right in which he said most people cross into the US out of an "act of love" for their families. Trump said Bush wouldn't get his vote because he's "weak on immigration" and supports the Common Core educational standards.
"Jeb said that they come into our country as 'an act of love.' … This is not an act of love. He's weak on immigration," Trump said. "By the way, [he's] in favor of Common Core, which is also a disaster. But weak on immigration. He doesn't get my vote."
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