Jeb Bush defends his family's record
During an economic forum in Detroit on Wednesday, Bush was asked how having two relatives who recently served as president impacts his own decision whether or not to run for the White House. He responded by jokingly threatening anyone who insults his father, former President George H.W. Bush.
"I love my dad. In fact, my dad is the greatest man alive. And if anybody disagrees, we'll go outside - unless you're like six-five and 250, and much younger than me; then, we'll negotiate. I'm still not going to change my mind for sure," Bush said.
Bush also declared that his brother, George W. Bush, was "a great president." George W. Bush arguably holds the most controversial record in the family, including the widely panned US invasion of Iraq in 2003. He left office as one of the most unpopular presidents in history."And I love my brother. And I think he's been a great president. It doesn't bother me a bit to be proud of them and love them," Jeb Bush continued.
He said the Bush political dynasty is a mixed blessing. On one hand, Bush said his family gave him a "front-row seat to kind of watch history unfold." On the other, he said it'll be harder to form his own unique brand as he considers whether to enter the 2016 race.
"I know it's an interesting challenge for me. One that if I have any degree of self-awareness, this would be the place where it might want to be applied," he quipped to laughs. "I would have to deal with this and turn this fact into an opportunity: to share who I am, to connect on a human level with people, and offer ideas that are important to people so when they think of me, they think I'm on their side." Ultimately, Bush argued, he knows "for a fact that if I'm going to be successful going beyond the consideration [of running], then I'm going to have to do it on my own."