Jeb Bush hopeful DeSantis will run for president

Former GOP presidential hopeful Jeb Bush in a recent interview threw his support behind Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), arguing it’s time for “a generational change in our politics.”

“I think it is,” Bush, a former Florida governor himself, told Fox News host Brian Kilmeade in a Fox Nation special called “Who is Ron DeSantis?” when asked if it was the right opportunity for DeSantis to run for higher office.

“He’s been a really effective governor. He’s young. I think we’re on the verge of a generational change in our politics. Kind of hope so. I think it’s time for a more forward-leaning, future-oriented conversation, our politics, as well,” Bush said during the special. The comments aired last Wednesday but resurfaced online Monday.

While DeSantis has not officially announced a White House bid, a presidential announcement is almost expected with an anticipated timing following Florida’s legislative session. Only former President Trump and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.S. Nikki Haley have officially launched White House bids.

But that hasn’t stopped other Republicans from wading into the preliminary GOP presidential primary.

“Who better to do it than someone who’s been outside of Washington, who’s governed effectively, who I think has shown that Florida can be a model for the future of our country,” Bush said.

Bush is no stranger to presidential politics. The former Florida governor was seen as an early front-runner in the 2016 Republican presidential primary, but he later dropped out of the race following disappointing primary finishes in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. 

The former Florida governor has also backed the idea of Trump getting challenged in the 2020 primary, though that effort didn’t succeed. Though Bush told CNN in an interview last October that Trump would likely be a “formidable” challenger going into 2024, he also said that “there’ll be other candidates that will be able to make their case for sure.”