Bush tweaks Trump with new "Which candidate are you?" quiz
In the latest in a series of attacks against real estate mogul Donald Trump, Jeb Bush's campaign unveiled a "Which candidate are you?" quiz Wednesday, intent on reminding voters of Trump's changing political views over the years.
"Would you rather support a candidate who opposes the Iran deal or [a candidate who] thought Hillary Clinton would negotiate a good Iran deal?" the quiz queries. "Backed an assault weapons ban or was applauded by the NRA for a Six Pack of Freedom (pro-gun, pro-hunting laws)?"
And then the quiz takes a personal turn, pointing out Trump's fear of germs. The last question asks voters whether they'd rather have a candidate who "strives to shake every hand everywhere" or "is a germophobe when it comes to shaking hands?"
The billionaire has publicly complained about how much he abhors shaking hands. Eighteen years ago, in his book "The Art of the Comeback" Trump wrote, "One of the curses of American society is the simple act of shaking hands, and the more successful and famous one becomes the worse this terrible custom seems to get. I happen to be a clean hands freak. I feel much better after I thoroughly wash my hands, which I do as much as possible."
In recent years, Trump has accepted that running for president means there will be a lot of handshaking (and probably a lot of hand sanitizer) involved. He told the Des Moines Register in 2011, when he was considering a White House run, "I will meet many, many people" in Iowa, and, he continued, "If I decide to run, I will be shaking hands with everybody."
The Bush campaign will advertise its quiz on Facebook "targeting people who have expressed an interest in or like pages related to Donald Trump" in New Hampshire, Iowa, South Carolina, and Nevada.
Trump, for his part, has already begun to fire back at Bush over the quiz.
"I think he really has no choice he's doing poorly in the polls," Trump told ABC News. "They're spending a lot of money on ads. He has a lot of money from hedge fund guys."
And, Trump warned, "so far everyone who's attacked me has gone down."
The candidate quiz, which comes just as the former Florida governor has fallen in national polls, is only the most recent attack by Bush in a week marked by increasing offensives against the leader of the Republican pack.
The Florida governor also hit Trump on Tuesday with a new video, questioning the billionaire's conservatism using his own words.
"You'd be shocked if I said that in many cases I probably identify more as a Democrat," Trump says in the video.
Another clip shows Trump announcing himself as "very pro-choice."
Trump fought back on Twitter, calling the video "yet another weak hit."
Yet another weak hit by a candidate with a failing campaign. Will Jeb sink as low in the polls as the others who have gone after me?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 1, 2015In an interview on CNN, Trump defended his conservative beliefs, though he did admit that "at one point I was a Democrat."
"For a period of time, and over the years, as Ronald Reagan changed, I also changed," Trump said Tuesday. "I became much more conservative. I also became a Republican."