Jeb Bush doesn't like any of the options. | AP Photo Jeb Bush says he won't vote for Trump

Donald Trump earned Jeb Bush’s praise on Friday, but he won’t earn his vote in November.

The former Florida governor and Republican presidential candidate congratulated the presumptive Republican presidential nominee for successfully tapping into the anger and frustration voters have shown with the status quo in Washington. But he also expressed that he isn’t optimistic that either candidate likely to be on the ballot in November can fix what’s broken.


“The American Presidency is an office that goes beyond just politics. It requires of its occupant great fortitude and humility and the temperament and strong character to deal with the unexpected challenges that will inevitably impact our nation in the next four years,” Bush said in a Facebook post.

“Donald Trump has not demonstrated that temperament or strength of character,” he continued. “He has not displayed a respect for the Constitution. And, he is not a consistent conservative. These are all reasons why I cannot support his candidacy.”

Bush said Hillary Clinton isn’t trustworthy and added that putting her in the White House would equate to a third term for President Barack Obama.

“In November, I will not vote for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, but I will support principled conservatives at the state and federal levels, just as I have done my entire life,” Bush said. “For Republicans, there is no greater priority than ensuring we keep control of both chambers of Congress. I look forward to working hard for great conservatives in the Senate and House in the coming months.”

South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, another of Trump’s former rivals for the White House, told CNN on Friday that he could support neither Trump nor Clinton and would skip the Republican National Convention in July.

Bush and Graham’s refusal to back Trump violates a pledge they and other Republican presidential candidates signed last fall vowing to support the eventual nominee. The pledge, which contains no legal force, also asked the candidates to forswear a third-party bid, a provision aimed squarely at Trump’s threats to run as an independent.

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and former Govs. Rick Perry of Texas and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana have all said this week that they will vote for Trump, though Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz have not yet revealed what they will do.

Bush’s comments also come during a week in which his father and brother, former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, announced that they wouldn’t attend the convention this summer, nor will they endorse the real estate mogul.

Former Republican nominees Mitt Romney and John McCain have also said that they won’t attend the convention.