Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush cautioned Netherlanders against thinking of Donald Trump's supporters as a "bunch of idiots."

Bush, who was in Amsterdam making one of his first public appearances since ending his presidential campaign, is no fan of Trump, but he says has respect for his following.

"What I fear is that people, kind of looking down their nose, will say the people that are supporting Donald Trump are a bunch of idiots. They're not. They're legitimately scared. They're fearful," Bush said per CNN. "They're not as optimistic for legitimate reasons and there should be respect for that."

Bush participated in a three-hour event in Amsterdam hosted by the Nexus Institute about American democracy, where he also participated in a panel discussion.

The former Republican presidential candidate has said he will not attend the GOP convention this summer, and he does he plan to vote for Trump.