Yes, Jeb Shut Down Trump’s Attempt To Put Casinos In Florida

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Jeb Bush accused presidential rival Donald Trump of having tried to give him money in exchange for softening his stance on casino gambling as Florida governor during Wednesday night’s Republican debate.

CNN’s Jake Tapper asked Bush if, as Trump had previously charged, he was a “puppet” for donors who poured $100 million into his presidential campaign. Bush responded by turning the accusation right back on the real estate mogul.

“The one guy that had some special interests that I know of that tried to get me to change my views and was generous and gave me money was Donald Trump,” Bush said. “He wanted casino gambling in Florida.”

“I didn’t. Totally false,” Trump protested. “I promise I would’ve gotten it.”

“You wanted it and you didn’t get it because I was opposed to casino gambling before, during, and after,” Bush continued, talking over Trump. “I’m not going to be bought by anybody.”

“I promise, if I wanted it, I would’ve gotten it,” Trump repeated. “I know my people.”

But it appears Bush was telling the truth. CNN reported earlier this month that Trump hosted a $500-per-person fundraiser for Bush when he was running for governor in 1997, in addition to donating $50,000 to the Florida Republican Party. Legal filings obtained by Bloomberg Business also showed that Trump had explored expanding his casino business to Florida but abandoned those plans shortly after Bush’s election.

CNN noted that Trump did not personally lobby Bush to change the state’s gambling laws and that it wasn’t clear whether the billionaire aimed to influence Bush and the Florida GOP’s positions on casinos through his contributions. But Trump has repeatedly stated over the years that he has donated to politicians in order to influence them.

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  1.  But it appears Bush was telling the truth.
    

    LOL.

    So what? It appears Trump holds grudges and it’s payback time.

  2. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, Trump occasionally stumbles over the truth, but he picks himself up, dusts himself off and hurries on as though nothing had happened.

  3. Avatar for drf55 drf55 says:

    You miss the point. Trump is incapable of admitting he was wrong or admitting to anything that he thinks doesn’t make him look good. His attempt to get a license for a casino in Florida are a matter of public record, and to attempt at this point to deny it strongly suggests some kind of disturbing personality disorder.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

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