Former President George W. Bush is coming off the sidelines and hitting the campaign trail for the first time in years as he plans to head to South Carolina next week to aid in his younger brother Jeb Bush's campaign, who is seeking a strong finish in the South Carolina primary after a fourth place finish in New Hampshire.
Although President Bush has raised funds for Jeb before, appearing with their father at a major Houston event last fall, as well as taping an ad for Jeb's super PAC, this will be the first time he will appear on the campaign trail on behalf of his brother.
"President Bush has been incredibly supportive of his brother's campaign and Governor Bush is excited to have him out on the trail," Bush's spokeswoman, Kristy Campbell, wrote in a statement provided to ABC News. "With the threats facing our nation and our allies, we need a steady hand. Few people understand that better than President Bush who knows that we need a tested, strong leader as our next Commander-in-Chief."
It's not clear what message President Bush will bring to South Carolina but its likely that the focus will be on the military, considering the high percentage of active duty military and veterans in the state.
President Bush is considered popular among voters in South Carolina. Former President George H.W. Bush won the Palmetto State's primary in the year he was first elected to the White House, according to CNN, and it was particularly influential in President Bush's 2000 primary election bid, where his win there served to stymie Sen. John McCain's momentum.
"President Bush is looking forward to returning to the Palmetto State to support Governor Bush and explain to South Carolinians why he believes that Jeb is the candidate best prepared to handle the rigors of the presidency and make our country safer, strong, and freer," his spokesman, Freddy Ford, said.
Jeb's legacy has played against him at times during his campaign, with opposition referencing the war in Iraq and his relation to President Bush as a means to keep him down in the polls, however that legacy may prove to ultimately work out in Jeb's favor in South Carolina. Appearing in Sumter, S.C., on Thursday, Jeb seemed more comfortable embracing his family's legacy, declaring that he's a true member of the Republican establishment due to his relationship to the two former President Bushs.
"Not only am I part of the establishment, but I won the lottery," he said as the audience punctuated his sentences with cheers, according to CBS News. "I'm blessed, I'm totally blessed to be part of this family. It is an incredible blessing. I am so fortunate to be able to say my family is my family."
President Bush's presence in South Carolina might be just what Jeb's struggling campaign needs to turn itself around. As the Feb. 20 South Carolina primary approaches, a survey from the Morning Consult shows Donald Trump, coming hot off a win in Hew Hampshire, polling at a commanding 44 percent among self-identified Republicans and Republican-leaning independents, while Jeb is only polling at 8 percent within the same demographic.
