Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who famously called President Donald Trump a “jerk” and “uninformed” during the 2016 GOP presidential primary, is now suddenly flocking to praise Trump.
During an appearance at a United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) event on Wednesday, Bush praised President Trump for his efforts in crippling the Iranian regime.
“We have decimated Iran’s capability to make mischief in the region. There’s no doubt about it,” said Bush, who is UANI’s chairman, adding that he applauded the Trump administration for their work.
However, Bush quickly warned that while Trump’s work in Iran was worth celebrating, he said that the U.S. neighbor, Cuba, is now believed to have hundreds of explosive drones from Tehran.
During his presentation, Bush was standing next to an Iranian Shahed-136 drone. The Shahed family of drones is a cheap but effective kamikaze weapon that Iran has used extensively in the Middle East, in addition to shipping them to Russia for use against Ukraine.
Now Bush believes that one of the closest U.S. geographic enemies has their hands on them thanks to Iran.
Jeb Bush Now Sounding Alarms on Cuba Drone Menacehttps://t.co/L52UAohqGV
— RedState (@RedState) July 9, 2026
“I also want to point out that the press reports are that there are 300 of these in Cuba,” Bush said, gesturing toward the drone.
“We have very good defense capabilities, so this is not a press conference to scare the bejesus out of people. The United States does have capabilities of defending the homeland, for sure,” Bush qualified before saying the drones nevertheless pose “a threat.”
Bush was joined at the event by Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., who echoed Bush’s statement and warned attendees that while Shahed drones are a “terror weapon,” they are also the future of how wars are going to be fought.
“This is the face of warfare,” he said of the drone, noting that AI capabilities were drastically advancing the effectiveness of drones. “This is how war is going to be carried out in the future, and it’s being carried out right now.”
Former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mark Wallace, now CEO of UANI, also spoke at the event, calling the Shahed drone “the ubiquitous terror weapon of mass destruction in modern warfare.”
“This drone has struck our allies across the region, killed American troops, our allies across the region … and has been raining terror across the Middle East at our bases and the like,” Wallace said.
Last June, Bush praised Trump for striking Iranian nuclear sites.
“We applaud President Trump and the United States for this decision—one of the most important of the 21st century,” Bush said, calling it “an act of courage, clarity, and historical necessity.”
“President Trump’s decision to neutralize Iran’s regime’s nuclear program is a watershed moment—one that reasserts American strength, restores deterrence, and sends an unmistakable message to rogue regimes: the era of impunity is over. Where others delayed and wavered, President Trump acted,” Bush said at the time.
“Thank you to Jeb Bush — Very much appreciated!” Trump declared in a Truth Social post at the time.