Donald Trump Doubles Down on Attacks of Bush Family

Thomson ReutersRepublican U.S. presidential candidate Trump speaks at a campaign town hall meeting in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump blasted close rival Ted Cruz on Monday, threatening to file a lawsuit challenging his eligibility for the White House if the Texas senator does not take down his “false ads”.

The Trump-Cruz battle is intensifying ahead of South Carolina’s Republican primary on Saturday.

Former president George W. Bush inserted himself forcefully into his brother’s flagging presidential campaign Monday, praising Jeb Bush’s “quiet conviction” and “humble faith” before a cheering crowd of more than 2,500 voters.

Trump used the Republican debate on Saturday to attack George W. Bush’s record in office.

Bush never mentioned the Republican frontrunner’s name, but the contrast he drew between “his big little brother” and Trump was obvious as he defined “real strength” coming from “integrity and character”. “My dad is the greatest man alive, in my mind”.

“I look back at my brother’s time – he didn’t know that 9/11 was going to happen, but he rolled up his sleeves, and he inspired us and he kept us safe”, he said. But after hearing the lobbyists scream wildly over every syllable that Marco uttered in SC, we can now safely “dispel with the fiction” that he is anything but an Establishment candidate.

The approach takes away from Bush’s months-long insistence that he’s running as “my own man”, but could be a ideal fit for SC.

Many wondered if the attacks by Trump, which prompted boos by the SC crowd, would cut into his popularity in the state. But he had remained publicly silent until a television advertisement was released in SC in recent days.

Although George W Bush remains a divisive figure nationally, he and his father both won primary elections in SC.

Despite his deep loyalty to his family members, Jeb Bush has struggled with what role they should play in his campaign, particularly his brother.

“I’m proud of his candidacy”, Bush said about his brother. The joint appearance by the Bush brothers drew more than 1,000 to a convention hall in North Charleston, making it easily the most energetic and well-attended event since Bush’s campaign launch last June in Miami.

Jeb Bush denounced Trump for attacking his family, calling it a “blood sport”.

When George H.W. Bush first ran for the presidency in 1980, he ran as a Texan despite having been born in MA and lived in CT. H.

Trump’s controversial remarks and policy positions – previous year he called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States – have caused an uproar.

Ted Cruz was born in Alberta, Canada, although his mother was an American citizen.

It was a reminder of how much the Republican Party has changed since he was president.

Jeb Bush isn’t a good campaigner, but he’s a Bush. Trump has said she would make a good justice, but Cruz said she would not be a good choice, citing an opinion she wrote in 2000 that held a New Jersey law banning late-term abortions placed an “undue burden” on a woman’s constitutional right to have the procedure.

The voters were right, Rubio says, in rejecting his proposal, for they rightfully want the border secured before anything further could be done with immigration.

Jeb Bush revealed that Mr Trump refused to shake hands, as is customary, after the debate. The win stabilized Bush’s campaign and sent him on to the Republican nomination.