George W. Bush: From South Carolina cameo to starring role

February 15, 2016

Kevin Wuzzardo,

By BILL BARROW and SERGIO BUSTOS
Associated Press

GREENVILLE, SC (AP) – George W. Bush won a bruising South Carolina primary on his way to the Oval Office, as his father did before him.

Now he’s campaigning Monday for his brother, Jeb, ahead of the state’s Feb. 20 GOP vote.

But during Saturday’s GOP debate, front runner Donald Trump made sure the weightiest foreign policy decisions of George W. Bush’s administration are front-and-center of Jeb Bush’s pursuit of the Republican presidential nomination.

Trump said George W. Bush ignored “the advice of his CIA” and “destabilized the Middle East” by invading Iraq based on dubious claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction.

Jeb Bush has defended his brother’s time in office and said Trump enjoys the “blood sport” of such attacks.