Jeb Bush mixed it up with frontrunner Donald Trump once again during the fifth GOP debate on Tuesday night. This time, the former Florida Governor appeared to have finally have bested his foe, calling the Republican frontrunner out for his bullying tactics.
"Donald, you are not going to insult your way to the presidency," Bush told Trump.
Bush repeatedly hit Trump for not being a serious candidate. He levied a number of attacks on Trump’s foreign policy credentials, including Trump’s statement to Chuck Todd that he gets his foreign policy advice from watching "the shows," adding he did not know if Trump was watching Saturday morning cartoons or Sunday morning talk shows.
The two squabbled over whose turn it was to speak, talking over each other. Bush smiled and told Trump he got "a little of your own medicine."
Bush painted himself as a serious and thoughtful leader with governing experience to lead the country during dangerous times. Trump alleged that the country needed toughness and strength, and Bush could not provide that.
"I do have the strength," Bush responded. "Leadership is not about attacking people and disparaging people. Leadership is about creating a serious strategy to deal with the threat of our time."
The two have bickered bitterly since Trump entered the race mid-summer. Before Trump became an official candidate, Bush appeared to be the favorite to win the nomination. With two other presidents in the family, Bush utilized his establishment support to give himself the largest war chest of any candidate on either side of the race. Once Trump began attacking Bush for being soft on immigration, however, Bush began a steady slide in the polls. Trump was happy to remind Bush of that fact on Tuesday.