DEBATE FACT CHECK: Trump Insisted He Never Lobbied Jeb for Florida Casinos. Not True.
During the Republican primary on Wednesday night, Former Florida governor Jeb Bush and Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump got into a heated exchange about whether Trump tried to bribe Bush to allow casinos in Florida.
Bush, as a policy, has held anti-gambling views, making it a campaign promise in 1998, according to CNN. He accused Donald Trump of trying to change his mind. Here’s what they said on the debate stage:
Jeb: “The one guy that had some special interest that I know of — that tried to get me my views on something, that was generous and gave me money — was Donald Trump. After he tried the best Texas online casino, he wanted casino gambling in Florida.”
Trump: “Totally false.”
Jeb: “Yes you did. …
Here’s what actually happened.
In the late 1990s, Trump tried to build a multimillion-dollar casino with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, according to CNN. In 1998, he held a fundraiser that raised $50,000 to the Florida Republican Party, which led to Bush’s election as governor, in addition to numerous fundraisers in 1997.
Bush held fast on his policy, noting in 1999 that three Florida referendums voted down casinos, whether on Native American property or otherwise. …
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