Slowly but surely, Republican presidential candidates are weighing in on Donald Trump's controversial statements about Mexican immigrants, and the general consensus appears to be trending negative on Trump.
After participating in two Fourth of July parades in New Hampshire Saturday, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush spoke to journalists about the business mogul's claim that most Mexican immigrants to the U.S. are criminals and "rapists."
"I don't think he represents the Republican Party," Bush explained of his competitor Trump, according to the Washington Post. "And his views are way out of the mainstream of what Republicans think. No one suggests that we shouldn’t control our borders -- everybody has a belief that we should control our borders. But to make these extraordinarily ugly kind of comments is not reflective of the Republican Party. Trump is wrong on this."
Bush then alleged that Trump is making such comments only "to inflame and to incite and to get to draw attention which just seems to be the organization principle of his campaign."
The former Florida lawmaker, whose wife Columba was born in Mexico, also admitted that he himself was "absolutely" personally offended by Trump's statements.
"And a lot of other people as well," added Bush. "But politically -- we're going to win when we're hopeful and optimistic and big and broad rather than 'RRRR' -- just angry all the time. This is an exaggerated form of that and there is no tolerance for it."
Bush wasn't the only Republican to denounce Trump's comments over the holiday weekend. Former GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney sang a similar tune when appearing in a separate N.H. Fourth of July parade Saturday.
Moreover, 2016 presidential candidate and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry voiced his agreement with Bush during an appearance on ABC's This Week Sunday.
"I've said very clearly that Donald Trump does not represent the Republican Party," declared Perry. "I was offended by his remarks."
"Hispanics in America and Hispanics in Texas from the Alamo to Afghanistan have been extraordinary people, citizens of our country and of our state," Perry continued. "They have served nobly, and to paint with that broad a brush that Donald Trump did -- he's going to have to defend those remarks. I never will and I will stand up and say those are offensive."