NEW YORK -- Donald Trump has blamed former President George W. Bush for the 9/11 attacks, saying the Twin Towers “came down during his time.” Speaking to Bloomberg TV on Friday, the Republican presidential front-runner was questioned how he would react as commander-in-chief in a moment of national tragedy.
Host Stephanie Ruhle said Bush had to stand in front of America after 9/11, and Obama had done likewise after the Sandy Hook shootings. “Help us understand who Donald Trump is as a man -- I need to know that you will make us feel safe and you will make us feel proud,” Ruhle said.
“I think I have a bigger heart than all of them,” Trump replied. “I think I’m much more competent than all of them. When you talk about George Bush, I mean, say what you want -- the World Trade Center came down during his time.”
Ruhle interrupted, saying: “You can’t blame George Bush for that.”
President Bush puts his arms around firefighter Bob Beckwith while standing in front of the World Trade Center debris during a tour of the devastation, Friday, September 14, 2001
“He was president, okay?” said Trump. “Do blame him or don’t blame him, but he was president. The World Trade Center came down during his reign. If you look at Sandy Hook, those people are still begging for help. It’s a disaster, and it’s a disaster all over the place. Government has proven to be a disaster during the Obama administration.”
He continued: “I think I have a bigger heart than all of [them], and I think I’m much more competent than them, and we will be great again. This country will be great again. We have tremendous potential, we have tremendous people -- what we need is a leader. We don’t have a leader.”
When asked if he would respond to Trump’s comments, a spokesman for Bush said: “Thanks for checking, but definitely not.”
Trump and Jeb bush clashed during the Republican candidate debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library last month, the business tycoon criticising the former president for his role in the Iraq War.