A former top aide to George W. Bush said Wednesday that the former President would’ve cleaned up a bungled response to a question on the invasion of Iraq better than his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), did.
Andrew Card, George W. Bush’s former chief of staff, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that he believed Jeb Bush, a potential 2016 contender, misheard a now-infamous question posed by Fox News’ Megyn Kelly: “Knowing what we know now, would you have authorized the invasion?”
Bush initially responded that he would have authorized the invasion. He then spent days stumbling over the question before reversing entirely to say he would not have invaded Iraq.
“He said if he had been where his brother was, at the time his brother was there, with the information his brother had he would have done the same thing,” Card said. “I don’t even think George W. Bush would say, knowing now, he would have made that decision.”
“Morning Joe” co-host Joe Scarborough asked Card why it took Jeb Bush four days to articulate his position.
“It did. It shouldn’t have taken them that long,” Card responded. “I don’t think it would have taken his brother that long to clear it up.”
The former White House aide brushed the topic off as “minor” compared to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton’s issues. Scarborough then steered Card back to the subject of Iraq and asked whether George W. Bush, whom Jeb Bush said he turns to for advice on the Middle East, would serve as his brother’s top adviser on the region.
“I think every former President should be available to be an advisor to every sitting President. No matter what their philosophy or anything else,” Card responded. “I think the job of President is so tough. You need all the help you can get. You should get it from people you may not agree with all the time. That’s okay.”
