ON POLITICS

Jeb Bush: Trump 'should stop saying things that aren’t true'

William Cummings
USA TODAY

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush likes a lot of what Donald Trump has done in office, but he thinks the president is putting his agenda at risk with some of his controversial tweets and statements. 

"He hasn’t shifted to being president in the way that people are used to and I think that’s the problem," Bush said during an interview with CBS Miami that aired Sunday. "He should stop saying things that aren’t true, that are distractions from the task at hand."

For example, Bush said Trump's insistence that he was wiretapped by former president Barack Obama "is a complete distraction that makes it harder to accomplish the things I know he wants to do."

Bush said he's been pleased by many of the president's appointments so far — although he criticized the administration's slow pace in filling the remaining vacancies. Bush listed Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as examples of the "top notch people" Trump has picked.

Bush also lauded the president's "decisiveness" on regulatory reforms.

But Trump's former rival in the Republican primary said Trump needs to learn the difference between running a campaign, where you are trying to garner support, and serving as president, where "your words have consequences that go way beyond that."

"My hope is, for our country’s sake, that he understands the enormity of the challenge he faces, and the great potential and opportunity that he has,” Bush said.

Jeb Bush watches the pregame warmup of the Houston Texans before their game against the Oakland Raiders in the AFC Wild Card game at NRG Stadium on Jan. 7, 2017 in Houston, Texas.