Washington, Sep 3 (IANS/EFE): Real estate magnate and Republican frontrunner in the 2016 US presidential elections, Donald Trump said that Jeb Bush, his rival in the primaries, should speak in English and not in Spanish in the US.
"I like Jeb. He's a nice man. But he should really set the example by speaking English while in the United States," said Trump on Wednesday in an interview with Breibart News, referring to Bush's fluency in the language which he often uses in his public speeches.
Bush strongly criticised Trump in Spanish during an interaction on Tuesday with students of the Presbyterian school La Progresiva, Florida.
"He attacks me every day with nonsense, with things that aren't true. This man is not a Conservative. He's been a Democrat longer than he's been a Republican. He has said he's felt more comfortable being a Democrat. I spent eight years as governor, he is not Conservative," Bush told the press, referring to Trump.
"If you're not totally in agreement with him you're an idiot, or stupid, or don't have energy, or blah blah blah," said Bush, who hails from a family of presidents, while criticising Trump's immigration policies that include constructing a wall at the Mexican border and deporting 11 million illegal immigrants.
Trump responded to Bush's accusations, of not having a conservative history and of association with Democrats, by comparing himself to former Republican US president Ronald Reagan (1981-1989).
"You know, Ronald Reagan wasn't a Conservative. He became a great Conservative. By the time I'm finished, people will say I'm a great Conservative. By the time I'm finished with the presidency, after eight years of the presidency, people will say I'm a great conservative - far greater than Jeb would ever have the ability to be," asserted Trump.
The business tycoon is comprehensively leading all polls on the Republican primaries and is increasingly closing in on Democrat favourite Hillary Clinton, while Bush sinks further down with some surveys placing him third or even fourth among the aspirants.