Jeb Has ‘Disgraced Himself.’ Donald Trump Roasts Rivals In CNN Interview

Donald Trump took aim at rivals both real (Ted Cruz and Jeb Bush) and hypothetical (Michael Bloomberg) in a one-on-one interview with Wolf Blitzer, which aired on CNN Monday.

First, though, he’d like to clarify something: He was joking “of course” when he said he could shoot someone on 5th Avenue and it wouldn’t cost him a single vote.

Regarding his chief rival in Iowa polls, Trump said Sen. Cruz has “got a lot of problems,” referring to his Canadian birth and his poor reputation as a “nasty guy who can’t get along with anybody.”

Responding to reports that billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg was considering entering the race, Trump said: “I’d beat him,” but hastened to add that he would relish the competition. “We used to be friends,” he said. “I guess we’re not friends anymore.”

Trump expressed doubt when Blitzer told him Bloomberg’s reported net worth. He also asserted that Bloomberg’s business is volatile because all someone has to do is invent a “better machine,” and he seemed perplexed nobody had invented such a machine already.

But he reserved his most withering jabs for “poor Jeb.”

“What Jeb Bush has done to the Bush family is very sad,” Trump said, and proceeded to mock him for making his mother, Barbara Bush, part of his campaign. “I think he’s disgraced himself to be honest with you,” he said.

[image via screengrab]

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!