Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is persona non grata in the Republican Party and would “get crushed” if he ever tries to run again as a Republican, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush tells Newsmax.
In an exclusive interview with Newsmax.TV, Bush was asked Monday whether he saw any way that Crist could work his way back into the GOP’s good graces.
“No. The answer is absolutely no,” the former Republican governor replied.
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“He has abandoned his party. He’s not going to be running as a Republican. He may run again, but it won’t be as a Republican.”
Bush added that Crist is simply no longer welcome in the GOP.
“He rejected our philosophy, he abandoned the party, he’s not welcome back,” Bush stated unequivocally. “I just can’t imagine that happening. The guy’s very ambitious. I imagine he’ll try to find a way to get back into the game. This is what he does, this is who he is. But he won’t be running as a Republican.
“If he does,” Bush predicted, “he’ll get crushed.”
This is not the first time Bush has taken aim at his successor. This past February Bush told Newsmax in an exclusive interview that Crist had committed an "unforgivable act" when he embraced President Obama’s stimulus plan.
Bush's remark to Newsmax was widely credited with dashing Crist’s hopes of prevailing in his GOP primary battle against his primary opponent, Marco Rubio.
Crist soon quit the GOP race and ran as an independent. Rubio handily defeated Crist and Democrat Kendrick Meek in the general election.
Editor's Note: See the Jeb Bush Video Clips and Read Other Excerpts from His Interview, Click Links Below: