Former President George W. Bush described Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), as “opportunistic” at a Sunday night fundraiser for his brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), according to a Politico report.
“I just don’t like the guy,” Bush said, according to a donor who spoke with Politico.
Donors present at the fundraiser told Politico that Bush was “pleasant” when speaking about the other candidates, but did not hold back when he spoke about Cruz, who served as a domestic policy adviser for Bush’s 2000 campaign.
“He’s a young, first-term senator; I’m not sure if that qualifies you to be president,” Bush said, according to two event attendees. “Of course, if he wins [the nomination], I’ll be back here next year telling you that doesn’t matter.”
Bush reportedly criticized Cruz for declining to attack Donald Trump, presumably in hopes of winning over the real estate mogul’s supporters when he drops out of the race. One donor told Politico that Bush said Cruz was “opportunistic” in his approach to Trump.
An event attendee also told Politico that Bush said Cruz would be one of his brother’s toughest opponents in the Republican primary. But Jeb Bush’s campaign pushed back against that characterization.
“The first words out of President Bush’s mouth last night were that Jeb is going to earn the nomination, win the election, and be a great president,” Freddy Ford, a spokesman for George W. Bush, told Politico. “He does not view Sen. Cruz as Gov. Bush’s most serious rival.”
In a Monday night statement, Cruz’s campaign responded to Bush’s reported comments.
“I have great respect for George W Bush, and was proud to work on his 2000 campaign and in his administration,” Cruz said. “It’s no surprise that President Bush is supporting his brother and attacking the candidates he believes pose a threat to his campaign. I have no intention of reciprocating. I met my wife Heidi working on his campaign, and so I will always be grateful to him.”
