Jeb Bush Says “Anchor Babies” Term Really Applies To Asians, Donald Trump Mocks Him For “Speaking Mexican”

During a press conference in Texas, yesterday Jeb Bush responded to reporters in fluent Spanish. This upset Trump supporters, prompting his campaign to happily retweet the above message. Bush was defending his usage of the term “anchor babies” – which he says really applies more to Asian immigrants anyway. CNN reports:



Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa said in a statement Monday that Bush’s use of the term is “disgusting and that he “owes million of U.S. citizens, Latinos, and immigrants an apology.” Bush, however, said he’s “immersed in the immigrant experience,” referring to his wife who’s from Mexico. He also speaks fluent Spanish and has lived in the Miami area for decades. “This is ludicrous for the Clinton campaign and others to suggest that somehow I’m using a derogatory term,” he said, adding, “Frankly it’s more related to Asian people coming into our country, having children, in that organized efforts, taking advantage of a noble concept.” Pressed on whether he’ll continue to use the term, Bush didn’t utter the phrase but called it “fraud” and argued that “we need to enforce the law,” though he still supports keeping birthright citizenship in place, unlike Republican front-runner Donald Trump. At one point, a heckler started shouting at Bush during the press conference. “He says your kids are anchor babies — your kids are anchor babies!” Bush quickly whipped around to look at the man, smiled, then continued taking questions from others.