Jeb Bush was a proud papa Tuesday night, happy that his son won his primary for re-election as Texas land commissioner despite being less enthused about George P. Bush's embrace of President Donald Trump.
Jeb Bush said his son didn't give him a heads up about the pro-Trump ads that he ran during his campaign, but added he was "grateful" that the president reciprocated by endorsing him.
"There's no reason to be in an argument about this … I'm grateful for President Trump endorsing my son. And I'm very proud of him," Jeb Bush told reporters at an election-night party in Austin. "Whatever disputes I have with the president will remain quietly in my head today. I don't have to get into an argument with someone in the press I've never met."
In a TV ad, George P. Bush said he endorsed Trump in 2016 and "worked with President Trump to stop the illegal Obama land grab," stunning advocacy for a president who bitterly mocked his father during the 2016 primary.
"I saw that, and I literally thought to myself: 'Does your grandmother know you're running this ad?'" Robert Lowry, a political science professor at the University of Texas at Dallas, told The Washington Post. "The Republican Party, at least the primary voters, they're really Trump's party more than the Bushes."
Further, George P. Bush touted the president's endorsement during the campaign, and his spokesman said recently that the son of Jeb Bush is "his own man."
Bush "represents a new generation of conservative leaders," spox Lee Spieckerman said recently. "The Republican Party is rigorous. It's diverse, and it's a party epitomized by President Trump."
George P. Bush defended his embrace of Trump Tuesday night, too.
"Politics is a full-contact sport. In primary battles - Republican, Democrat - it's tough. We say things sometimes we don't mean," the George P. said.
Reporters continued to press Jeb Bush about his thoughts.
"It's fun to be here just as a dad. I'm not going to talk anymore to you guys," Jeb Bush said.
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