Jeb Bush: denounces Trump

Former Republican presidential contender Jeb Bush announced on Friday he would not vote for either GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump or Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton in the general election.

“In November, I will not vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, but I will support principled conservatives at the state and federal levels,” said Bush on his facebook page.

In his denouncement of Trump, Bush wrote that Trump did not show the “great fortitude and humility and the temperament and strong character” required for the U.S. presidency.

“He has not displayed a respect for the Constitution. And he is not a consistent conservative,” added Bush.

Bush’s refusal to support Trump came as no surprise since the former Florida governor was one of the vocal critics of Trump on the campaign trail.

Still, Bush’s announcement on Friday highlighted the rift within the GOP that is unlikely to be mended anytime soon.

So far, four previous GOP presidential nominees, namely George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, John McCain and Mitt Romney had announced that they wouldn’t attend the GOP National Convention in July when Trump would be formally nominated.

Also, in a rare move on Thursday, U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan told CNN that he was not ready to support Trump.

“I’m just not ready to do that at this point. I’m not there right now,” said the top House Republican and 2012 Republican vice presidential nominee in an interview with CNN.