Besides speaking on the problems facing America internally, Bush referenced outside attacks from adversaries like Russia. President Trump has repeatedly dismissed claims that Russia had any role in impacting the 2016 election. “This effort is broad, systemic and stealthy. It’s conducted across a range of social media platforms,” Bush said. He reinforced this by citing the U.S. intelligence community’s assessment about Russia’s interference.
Furthermore, Bush released a report detailing threats to Western liberal democracies and recommendations to strengthen American institutions. After his speech, he joined a panel consisting of former secretaries of state Condoleezza Rice and Madeline Albright. Trump’s U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley was also in attendance.
Bush vs. Trump
Trump found himself frequently locking horns on the debate stage with George Bush’s brother, Jeb, the former Florida governor. Therefore it’s understandable that the Bush and Trump families do not exactly have a warm history. Jeb was widely considered by donors to be the Republican establishment favorite for the White House. It was shocking to the GOP base when Jeb Bush’s campaign imploded before the election.
