Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush ripped into Donald Trump’s “insensitive” Cinco de Mayo tweet in an interview flagged Tuesday by the Huffington Post.
“It’s like eating a watermelon and saying ‘I love African-Americans,’” Bush said of the tweet, which featured a photo of the presumptive GOP nominee chowing down on a taco bowl in Trump Tower as proof of his “love” of “Hispanics.”
Bush, who dropped out of the race in February after enduring a bruising primary season, accused Trump of alienating American voters with that sort of divisive, show-boating rhetoric in an interview with Dutch Newspaper NRC Handelsblad that was provided to HuffPost.
“What Trump did was so insensitive,” Bush told NRC. “First, not all Hispanics are Mexican. Secondly, not all Hispanics eat tacos. Thirdly, showing your sensitivity by eating an American dish is the most insensitive thing you can do. Fourthly, to say this, next to all things he already said, is a further insult. It’s like eating a watermelon and saying ‘I love African-Americans.’”
“This guy,” Bush continued. “If we lose in November, we Republicans have ourselves to blame.”
Happy #CincoDeMayo! The best taco bowls are made in Trump Tower Grill. I love Hispanics! https://t.co/ufoTeQd8yA pic.twitter.com/k01Mc6CuDI
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 5, 2016
Bush also laid the blame for the Republican Party’s current upheaval squarely at Trump’s feet, saying it’s “uncertain” that the GOP can survive the 2016 election.
The two frequently butted heads on the 2016 campaign trail, with Bush criticizing Trump’s rhetoric about Muslims, immigrants and women and Trump going after Bush’s “low-energy” persona.
Bush has said he will not cast a vote for Trump in November and does not plan to attend the Republican National Convention in July.
