Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) on Saturday said he is “absolutely” offended by Donald Trump’s recent remarks on Hispanic immigrants and Mexico.
Bush told reporters Trump’s comments paint a false picture of Republican values, according to The Washington Post.
“I don’t think he represents the Republican Party, and his views are way outside the mainstream of what Republicans think,” Bush said after two Independence Day parades in New Hampshire.
{mosads}“No one suggests that we shouldn’t control our borders,” he said. “Everybody has a belief that we should control our borders.”
“But to make these extraordinarily ugly kind of comments is not reflective of the Republican Party,” Bush added. “Trump is wrong on this.”
Bush’s remarks come as both men compete for the GOP’s 2016 presidential nomination.
He added that he finds Trump’s comments especially distasteful given his wife Columba was born in Mexico.
“Absolutely,” Bush responded when asked if he is personally offended by Trump’s rhetoric.
He added that the furor over his comments make it harder for Republicans to win.
“Politically, we’re going to win when we’re hopeful and optimistic and big and broad rather than just angry all the time,” he said.
“This is an exaggerated form of that and there is no tolerance for it,” Bush added.
“He’s doing this to inflame and incite and to draw attention which just seems to be the organizational principle of his campaign.”
Trump sparked outrage by attacking Hispanic immigration and Mexico during his formal campaign launch two weeks ago.
“They’re sending people who have a lot of problems,” he said from Trump Tower in New York City on June 16.
“They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists,” he added. “And some, I assume, are good people.”
Bush and Trump currently command the highest polling numbers among New Hampshire’s Republican primary voters.
The Bush family is currently vacationing at its Walker’s Point compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. The retreat is in close proximity to the Granite State.
Bush spent Saturday participating in holiday celebrations in New Hampshire.
He first marched in an Independence Day parade in Amherst before joining a second one in Merrimack.
The Bushes are also welcoming former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney and his wife Ann for lunch in Kennebunkport next week.
The Romneys are currently summering in Wolfeboro, N.H.