ABC’s World News Tonight aired on Wednesday night anchor David Muir’s interview with 2016 Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush and, while the aired portions touched on issues such as Iraq and political dynasties, other topics were passed over included the economy, distrust in government, and ObamaCare.
Instead, Muir attempted to drag Bush to the left on immigration when asking about a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants and gay rights when Muir asked the former Florida governor if he would attend a gay wedding.
After showing video of Muir visiting a convenience store with Bush and asking him both about being an introvert and having a famous brother, Muir brought up the Bush and Clinton dynasties:
Let's switch to the mood of the country because your mother, Barbara Bush, famously said that there have been enough Bushes in the White House. She's come around that and change her mind but she did say something that a lot of Americans, quite frankly, are saying to themselves, you know, a Bush or a Clinton, isn't there anyone else out there? And I’m curious, when you hear that, do you understand where people are coming from?
Bush admitted that he’s “totally self-aware and understand[s] that I have a challenge” and that he “intend[s] to overcome it by sharing my life story.”
When Muir shifted gears to immigration, he mentioned hecklers at his announcement speech and tried to hit Bush from the left: “You have said along the way you would be open to the idea of a path to citizenship, more recently, legal status. So, as we sit here today in Iowa, where do you stand?”
While Bush emphasized his position that “we ought to have a path to legal status” for “Dream Act kids,” Muir asked for confirmation on a “path to citizenship for them” to which Bush responded “absolutely.” Muir continued down that line by asking if he also meant for the parents of those individuals, but was rebuked when Bush maintained that he would not favor a path to citizenship for their parents.
Following a brief discussion of Iraq, Muir told Bush he was “curious what you hope the [Supreme] Court decides” on gay marriage with the ruling likely to come soon.
After Bush responded that he’d be in favor of the Court letting states make their own decisions, Muir came at the issue from an emotional perspective: “A lot of people think that this issue in particular is a generational issue, and we saw your parents. We saw your father as a witness to a same-sex marriage in Maine.”
Reaffirming that he was “curious,” Muir wondered if he would “witness a same sex marriage if you were asked.” The 2016 GOP candidate iterated that he would and “if they were friends that I cared for them, of course I would.”
Taking into consideration what has been shown so far of the interview, it will be worth comparing Muir’s questioning of Bush to what he would ask if the World News Tonight anchor had the opportunity to sit down with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
The relevant portions of the transcript from ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir on June 17 can be found below.
ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir
June 17, 2015
6:40 p.m. Eastern
DAVID MUIR: And so, as you embark on this, 509 days out, how easy is this going to be for someone who describes themselves as an introvert?
JEB BUSH: I don’t know because I’m an introvert or not, I'm a grinder. I'm really competitive. I’m really focused. I'm very disciplined, but it takes a lot of effort for someone who's introverted. I admit I am.
MUIR: It's interesting, our current president takes a lot of heat for being insular and not having a beer, say, with members of the opposite party. Having a beer with members of the other side doesn't sound like something an introvert would enjoy either.
BUSH: But it's work. It's required. That's not the president's forte.
(....)
MUIR: Let's talk immigration. Your kickoff speech this week, we saw the hecklers spelling out: legal status is not enough. You have said along the way you would be open to the idea of a path to citizenship, more recently, legal status. So, as we sit here today in Iowa, where do you stand?
BUSH: I think we ought to have a path to legal status and the people, the kids that were protesting, frankly, I think they ought to have a path to citizenship. Dream Act kids, kids that are here because their parents came, they had no control over it, there ought to be some recognition that we're not going to send them back to a country they know nothing about.
MUIR: So a path to citizenship for them?
BUSH: Absolutely.
MUIR: And not their parents?
BUSH: Not their parents.
(....)
MUIR: The Supreme Court set to rule on same-sex marriage any day now. I'm curious what you hope the Court decides?
BUSH: I hope that they decide that the states should make this decision.
MUIR: A lot of people think that this issue in particular is a generational issue, and we saw your parents. We saw your father as a witness to a same-sex marriage in Maine.
BUSH: Yeah.
MUIR: I'm curious, would you witness a same sex marriage if you were asked?
BUSH: Sure, I would. I would if they were friends that I cared for them, of course I would.
