Bush: Rubio ‘cut and run’ from immigration stance

by Jonathan Swan - 01/28/16 10:47 PM ET

Jeb Bush attacked his former protégé Marco Rubio for letting him down, saying the junior Florida senator “cut and run” on immigration reform.

In a heated exchange during Thursday night’s Republican presidential debate, Bush criticized Rubio for seeking his support on the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill before folding as soon as the politics got tough.

“I supported him,” the former Florida governor said of Rubio at the debate in Des Moines, Iowa. “He led the charge to finally fix this immigration problem that has existed now for, as Marco says, for 30 years.

“And then he cut and run because it wasn’t popular amongst conservatives.”

Bush then touted a book he wrote called “Immigration Wars” in which he advocates a path to legal status for illegal immigrants.

Rubio then tried to portray Bush as a hypocrite. “That is the book where you changed your position on immigration. Because you used to support a path to citizenship.”

“So did you,” Bush said.

“Well but you changed it —” Rubio said, trying to interrupt.

“So did you, Marco,” Bush replied.

Tags Marco Rubio