Jeb Bush: ‘I’m Upset’ About ‘False,’ ‘Dangerous’ Narrative of Civil Liberties Threat

Tuesday in in Orlando at the Florida Economic Growth Summit, former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-FL) said he was “upset” and “deeply troubled” about the debate over the NSA encroaching upon American’s civil liberties by the warrantless collection of bulk data that has now been reformed by the Senate passing the Freedom Act.

Bush said, “The simple fact is, we are safer today because of the Patriot Act, and this notion that somehow you create a false narrative, as many on the left, and a few on our team, but mostly on the left, that our civil liberties are being violated. It’s not true, there is no evidence of it. You can say it all you want but if it’s not true then why would we give up something that has kept us safe?”

He added, “I’m deeply troubled by this and there is this narrative that is quite dangerous for the homeland. And here’s the deal, God forbid if there is ever another attack of some fashion, one would expect with three hundred and thirty million people of a free society, as the beacon of freedom and the beacon of western civilization, which is what our country is, there are people that planning to attack us. And God forbid there was an attack, the minute that happens, my guess is, the very same people that are now saying our civil liberties are being violated, are going to be critical of the people that said why didn’t you keep us safe. I’m upset about it.”

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