Former Democratic President Bill Clinton reportedly told Republican presidential hopeful Jeb Bush in July that his Donald Trump problem would be "taken care of."
At the start of the presidential race, Bush led nearly every Republican poll, but when the political enigma known as Donald Trump began commandeering headlines with his boisterous rhetoric and far surpassing Bush in the polls, the former Florida governor grew uneasy and was reportedly looking for all the help he could get. That call for help was even issued to Bush's main Democratic rival, Team Clinton, according to DC Whispers.com.
Bush operatives reportedly believe that between the Bush and Clinton political dynasties and their mainstream media and corporate business partners, Donald Trump can quickly and effectively be removed from the presidential race to pave the road for a Bush vs. Clinton 2016 head-to-head in the general election.
Shortly after the Bush camp began seeking help, Bill Clinton called and provided some much needed reassurance by telling him that "a lot of this Trump thing will be taken care of during your debates, if not sooner."
DC Whispers continues: "It's said that Hillary Clinton wants nothing to do with Donald Trump. To most they just call him a clown, but privately they're afraid of him. The Clinton team doesn't fear Jeb Bush because they know what they are up against and that lack of fear is mutual among the Bush operation as well. They both run in similar circles politically and financially, so it's a choice of shades of the same color and that's how they want to keep it."
The plot thickens with a more recent report from journalist and author Edward Klein, who suggested on his website that Bill Clinton actually manipulated Trump into running for president on the Republican ticket because he thought it would weaken the GOP and hand the election to Hillary.
"Bill Clinton is rubbing his hands with glee and taking full credit for Donald Trump's mounting problems - his belligerent handling of Fox's Megyn Kelly and his refusal to rule out a third-party bid," Klein wrote, citing "political insiders."
Klein said that Bill Clinton was up to his "usual shenanigans" when he phoned Trump in May to encourage him to enter the race.
News broke last week just before the two GOP debates that Bill Clinton called Trump and encouraged him to play a larger role in the Republican Party, though a Clinton aide told The Washington Post that the 2016 race was never specifically discussed.
Klein said that the Clintons believe that Bush is the biggest obstacle in the way of Hillary Clinton's path to the White House.
"He figured - rightly - that a Trump candidacy would put a crimp in Bush's campaign and sow confusion in the GOP ranks," Klein wrote. "Bill is a master at reading other people's weaknesses, and he predicted that Trump - who never lets a slight or insult go unpunished - would go ballistic under tough questioning by Fox News anchors during the first Republican president debate."
Clinton was "thrilled - but not surprised," Klein said, when Trump said he could run third party if he the GOP establishment doesn't treat him fairly, and then refused to back down from that threat during the Republican debate.
"That was music to Bill ears, because it would split the Republican vote and hand the election to Hillary," Klein said. "It's not surprising, therefore, that Bill Clinton thinks he was the real winner of last week's Republican presidential debate."
