A new report suggests that allies of George W. Bush have quietly begun positioning themselves for a political resurgence inside the Republican Party once President Donald Trump leaves the national stage. According to the Daily Mail, influential Bush-era figures believe the moment may be approaching to reassert their brand of Republicanism.
The outlet describes mounting “rumors” of a coordinated effort to “end the so-called ‘Bush Exile’” and reclaim the party apparatus from Trump’s MAGA movement. The report paints a picture of a well-connected network operating quietly, waiting for the right opening: “Behind the scenes, and still with deep connections around the country, a shadow Republican Party is lying in wait to take over when Trump is gone.”
Though George W. Bush has remained publicly restrained and has avoided direct criticism of Trump — a silence that has irritated some of his own former staff — the report claims he “may not be averse to quietly helping to shape the Republican Party’s long-term future.”
One individual identified only as a “former Bush official” told the outlet that Trump “knows that there’s no third term option,” adding that Vice President JD Vance “has a head start” going into the early maneuvering for 2028. That same official predicted that “there will be a big open field within the Republican Party” once the next presidential nominating contest begins.
The article notes that even longtime party voices such as former RNC Chairman Michael Steele have urged Bush to re-engage, saying the former president has “a voice that would resonate with a lot more Americans.”
The broader backdrop includes Bush’s earlier critiques of Trump’s leadership. In a 2021 sit-down with CBS’s Norah O’Donnell, Bush remarked that Trump “lacked the ‘humility’ necessary to be an effective leader.” He had also voiced concerns during Trump’s first term, warning that an “isolationist United States” was “destabilizing around the world” and cautioning that such a shift was “dangerous for the sake of peace.”
Those comments carried weight coming from a president whose tenure included U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, conflicts that led to more than 4,500 American deaths, including over 3,500 in combat.
If the Daily Mail’s reporting proves accurate, the Bush network may see the upcoming political landscape as their best chance in years to steer the GOP back toward its pre-Trump identity — quietly, strategically, and waiting for the right moment.
{Matzav.com}
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described the recent wave of attacks by Israeli extremists in the West Bank in stark terms, characterizing the violence as terrorism while emphasizing that only a tiny fringe was responsible and that Israel was actively confronting the problem.
Speaking to Elizabeth Vargas on NewsNation, Huckabee acknowledged the uptick. “I think there is an escalation,” he said, labeling the incidents “acts of terrorism.”
He made clear that wrongdoing was not limited to one side. “Israelis can carry out terrorism as well. But most of these people are not actual settlers who live there… This is a very small number, mostly of youth, angry and disaffected. These are thugs. Many of them don’t even live in Judea and Samaria. They come into there to create havoc,” he explained, using the biblical terms for the territory.
Huckabee pointed out that Israeli officials had publicly denounced these assaults and had pledged to pursue those responsible. In recent days, authorities had taken several individuals into custody connected to the repeated rampages by more than 100 extremists, though the investigations had not resulted in indictments and many detainees had already been released.
Asked about the flare-up in Gaza, Huckabee maintained that the truce remained intact despite the exchange of fire. He said such flashpoints were not unexpected. “Israel is within its rights. They have to strike back when they are attacked by Hamas, when they break out of those tunnels,” he noted. “But I think, overall… the president’s plan is moving along very, very effectively.”
He also addressed concerns raised in some quarters regarding Washington’s sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia. Huckabee dismissed the notion that the move troubled Jerusalem. He argued that Israel understood the built-in safeguards that preserved its military edge. He said Israel “knows that there’s still statutory requirements from the United States that Israel has a superiority in terms of defense mechanisms and US weapons.”
“We have an agreement with Israel that they are supposed to have military superiority in the Middle East. I think that they believe that the U.S. is going to honor that,” he said, adding reassurance that enhancing Saudi defense capabilities would not undermine Israel’s position. “Selling some F-35s to the Saudis to give them the ability to protect themselves, perhaps against Iran, is not in and of itself something that would be offensive to Israel,” he added.
{Matzav.com}
