Five weeks after dropping his bid for the White House after poor results in early voting states, Jeb Bush will throw his support behind his one-time opponent Senator Ted Cruz, who’s seen as the only candidate capable of catching frontrunner Donald Trump.
According to Politico, the former Florida governor will endorse Cruz as a viable alternative to Trump, whom Bush considers “divisive and vulgar.” In a statement that’s expected on Wednesday, Bush says, “Today, I am endorsing Ted Cruz for President … Washington is broken, and the only way Republicans can hope to win back the White House and put our nation on a better path is to support a nominee who can articulate how conservative policies will help people rise up and reach their full potential.”
Bush’s backing of Cruz is expected to give a boost to the Texas Senator, who won Utah’s primary on Tuesday but remains far behind Trump in the delegate count. Yet it could be too little too late, as Trump on Tuesday extended his hefty lead over Cruz and Ohio Governor John Kasich for the Republican nomination by winning the Arizona primary. Bush joins a chorus of established members of the party who have denounced Trump’s unconventional campaign, which continues to generate controversy.