Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush’s campaign is calling on CBS News to apologize after an “inexcusable” report that referenced jokes about Bush committing suicide, CNNMoney reported.
Kristy Campbell, Bush’s press secretary, said the network should apologize following a report that talked about a tweet from Bush that read “America” and featured a picture of a gun engraved with his name.
{mosads}”There were some people who were supportive, but many said, ‘Your campaign is dying. Please, Governor Bush, don’t take your own life.’ Only in jest, but it shows you how painful things have become for Bush in South Carolina,” CBS Major Garrett reported, after saying that social media was “abuzz” over the photo.
Campbell said the report was inexcusable.
“In addition to the mainstream-media’s total lack of understanding when it comes to gun rights and gun culture, it is absolutely inexcusable to make light of suicide,” Campbell wrote in an email to CNN.
Bush was widely mocked over the tweet on social media. He later explained its purpose.
“The purpose was we went to a gun manufacturing facility where lots of jobs are created, high-wage jobs. And I received a gun and I was honored to have it,” Bush said.
Bush is in fourth place in South Carolina with 10.3 percent support, according to the RealClearPolitics average of polls.