Trump walks back attack on George Bush

[mystery-ak]

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/donald-trump-walks-back-attack-on-george-w.-bush/article/2583272


Trump walks back attack on George Bush
By Dan Friedman • 2/14/16 12:37 PM

Donald Trump sought Sunday to walk back his statements during Saturday night's Republican debate that former President George W. Bush bore responsibility for the Sept. 11 terror attack.

"I am not blaming him," Trump said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday.

Trump continued to imply Bush erred, however. "The CIA said there was a lot of information that something like that was going to happen," he said. The attacks killed just under 3,000 Americans.

During Saturday night's debate, Trump told former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush: "The World Trade Center came down during your brother's reign, remember that."

"How did he keep us safe?" Trump said later. "I lost hundreds of friends. The World Trade Center came down during the reign of George Bush. He kept us safe? That is not safe."

Trump holds a large lead in South Carolina. A CBS poll released Sunday put his support at 42 percent. That is more than double the 20 percent of the second-place candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., polled in third at 15 percent.

But in the wake of the debate, many pundits argued Trump risks losing support of pro-military conservative voters in South Carolina and other upcoming primary states, among whom George W. Bush remains popular.

For some GOP voters, Trump's faulting of Bush may have sounded too similar to Democratic denunciations of the former president, who faced criticism at the time for taking a lengthy vacation in the weeks prior to the attack, which occurred nine months into his presidency.

Hoping to capitalize on the those views, Rubio responded to Trump's claims Saturday by arguing former President Bill Clinton was at fault for the 9/11 attacks. Clinton failed to kill Osama bin Laden, Rubio said.

Trump on Sunday also seemed to walk back his claim that the Bush administration deliberately misled Americans in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq.

"They lied," Trump said during the debate. "They said there were weapons of mass destruction, there were none. And they knew there were none."

On Sunday, Trump said George W. Bush "thought there were weapons of mass destruction, maybe, or maybe he didn't."

Trump insisted the invasion of Iraq was a "disaster" that continues to spread instability.

"We would have been so much better off if Bush and the rest of them went to the beach and didn't do anything," Trump said. "If you had Saddam Hussein, he was a bad guy and all of that, but he made a living off killing terrorists. Now if you want to become a terrorist you go to Iraq."

Trump spoke just hours after he fired off a series of post-midnight tweets arguing he fared well in the debate.

Saturday's debate "might have been my best performance," Trump said Sunday.

[flowers]

Trump blew it last night. I am now wondering about him. He looked so pathetic and childish.

[HAPPY2BME]

Trump blew it last night. I am now wondering about him. He looked so pathetic and childish.

================================

We'll know by Wednesday.

[sinkspur]

Guess somebody told Trump he sounded like a friggin' idiot last night with his conspiracy nonsense.

He walked things back, but not much.

[musiclady]

"I am not blaming him," Trump said on CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday.

I blame him, I blame him not, I blame him, I blame him not......

Just as he does on every other subject, Trump speaks with forked tongue.

Do we believe him today, or do we believe him tomorrow??   

[Longiron]

Trump blew it last night. I am now wondering about him. He looked so pathetic and childish.

Trump blew what ? They all came at him the other candidates, CBS, moderators and they never laid a hand on him. They all were throwing stones at a TRAIN that keeps on going and cannot be stopped. He took them all on and did what he does best WIN. Keep tying to make him look bad and he keeps getting stronger. Has to be frustrating to see your guy LOSE no matter how they try and FIX the game.

[Wingnut]

In the end Trumps demise will be a Death By A Thousand Cuts. 

[flowers]

Trump blew what ? They all came at him the other candidates, CBS, moderators and they never laid a hand on him. They all were throwing stones at a TRAIN that keeps on going and cannot be stopped. He took them all on and did what he does best WIN. Keep tying to make him look bad and he keeps getting stronger. Has to be frustrating to see your guy LOSE no matter how they try and FIX the game.

I didn't see it the way you did. My first pick is Trump. 

[NavyCanDo]

He can walk it back all he wants - he still has not walked  back his statement that "there was no weapons of mass destruction", sounding more like Bernie Sanders that any other candidate on that stage.

[raml]

I am not voting for Trump unless he gets the nomination and he is one I could vote for but I am a Cruz fan. I really think half of our country thinks the way he does about Bush's going into Iraq. I am not sure anymore how I feel about him doing that I was all for Afghanistan never real sure about going into Iraq. I will say that Bush's last 4 years to me were just him sitting around backing off doing anything because people were being really critical of him. He was a waste of space his last four years and left a bitter taste in my mouth. I know he loves this country so in that aspect I admire him and his father but I really didn't like his stand on illegals nor have I for many many years with the government allowing people to stay after coming here illegally. Trump has a right to his opinion on Bush I don't fault him on that. He is not over no matter what anyone says here to many people like him and hate the establishment. I have been saying for the past 4 years here that there are angry people out in the heartland and they are on the warpath now for sure. The 2014 election of more republicans that are doing nothing is what really set all of us off.