Jeb Bush says he hopes a Republican challenges Trump in 2020

Are we about to witness a resurgence of President Trump's brutal Twitter attacks against former Florida Governor Jeb Bush?

Bush, one of Trump's opponents during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, backed the idea of a Republican challenger to Trump in 2020 during an appearance on the Axe Files podcast, CNN reports, saying that members of the party "ought to be given a choice."

The former governor didn't sound optimistic that a primary challenger would be successful, though, noting that Trump has a loyal base and that it's "hard to beat a sitting president." Still, Bush said it's "important" for Republicans to have "a conversation about what it is to be a conservative," adding that "our country needs to have competing ideologies."

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The feud between Bush and Trump, of course, was among the most bitter of the 2016 election cycle, and after dropping out of the race, Bush announced he would not vote for Trump in the general election, nor would he vote for Hillary Clinton.

One person who could challenge Trump from the right is Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), and Bush said on the podcast that when he listened to Hogan deliver a recent speech, "I kind of got a sense that maybe this was an opening," per CNN. But even if Hogan doesn't run, Bush may get his wish sooner rather than later, as former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld in February launched an exploratory committee ahead of possibly seeking the Republican nomination, saying that Republicans who support Trump "exhibit all the symptoms of Stockholm Syndrome."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.