GEORGE BUSH: I Think Jeb 'Wants To Be President'

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Jeb Bush

AP

Jeb Bush

Former President George W. Bush said Thursday he's pushing his younger brother, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, to run for president in 2016. And the elder brother also said he thinks his younger brother wants the job, even as he's still weighing whether to enter the race.

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"I think he wants to be president," George Bush said on "Fox and Friends" Thursday. "I think he'd be a great president. He understands what it's like to be president. ... He's seen his dad. He's seen his brother."

Even so, George Bush said he doesn't think his brother has made up his mind about whether to run.

"He and I had a conversation," George Bush said. "I, of course, was pushing for him to run for president. He, of course, was saying, 'I haven't made up my mind.' I truly don't think he has. And plus, I don't think he liked it that his older brother was pushing him."

Jeb Bush's family has been described as a major factor in his decision. His wife is reportedly "not at all happy" with the possibility he'll run for president, and his mother, Barbara, has also come out publicly against it. Throughout the process, though, George Bush has encouraged his brother to take the plunge.

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Bush's possible entry into the race would give the GOP establishment a candidate to rally around in a muddled Republican field. An August poll from McClatchy and Marist College found Bush tied with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie as the early favorites for the Republican nomination. They each grabbed 13% of the vote from Republicans polled in the survey.

Here's the full video of George W. Bush's appearance on Fox News: