WASHINGTON -- Jeb Bush, you can breathe a bit easier. Donald Trump has concluded you're no longer threatening enough that he feels the need to dump all over you.
"I did talk about Jeb because I thought Jeb was going to be the front-runner," Trump told CNN’s "State of the Union" on Sunday. "Obviously, he's no longer the front-runner. I probably won't talk about him so much anymore."
Having spent months mocking Bush for his low energy level, this line from Trump could be either a moment of rare sympathy from the real estate tycoon-turned-candidate, or the cruelest insult yet. The former Florida governor was supposed to be the Republican juggernaut. Now, with his campaign sputtering and forced to trim payroll, he doesn't even merit a jab from a guy who loves dishing them out?
Since he loves doing television, Trump appeared on other shows Sunday. And he didn’t seem to be quite yet ready to let the Jeb ribbing go.
“It’s not for him,” he said on ABC’s "This Week," in discussing the difficulties of the presidential campaign. “And, you know, I hate to see what’s happening with him, but his campaign is a disaster; he’s paid one person $1.3 million, some finance director. Paid him $1.3 million -- that’s almost more than I pay for my whole deal! His -- you know, when I look at what I’ve done, I’m No. 1 in virtually every poll and I spent less money than any other candidate that’s running.”