Jeb Bush Criticizes President Obama For Not Visiting Mosque Sooner

—TILTON, NH -- President Obama has received criticism from Republicans for visiting a mosque, perhaps unsurprisingly. But Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush appeared surprised by the President’s actions for a different reason.

"I don’t think it's divisive to go speak in a mosque,” Bush said. "I’m surprised it took his 8th year to do it.”

Bush’s rival, Marco Rubio, criticized the President’s visit to a Baltimore mosque, took a different tack.

“He gave a speech at a mosque. Oh, you know, basically implying that America is discriminating against Muslims," Rubio said. "Of course there’s discrimination against in America, of every kind. But the bigger issue is: radical Islam."

Bush hit back against that notion.

“Discrimination in America is bad and the threat of ISIS is real. You can believe in both which is why I don’t criticize the president to go to a mosque and to assure that people they shouldn’t be discriminated against," Bush told reporters after visiting with voters at the Tilt’n Diner. "I think that is more than appropriate as the leader of our country."

Bush did go on to reprimand the President for being “derelict in his duties” to destroy ISIS, accusing him of allowing the caliphate to be created.

The former Florida governor is in New Hampshire in the fight for the fate of his candidacy; earlier that day he visited with employees at Globe Manufacturing in Pittfield where he spoke on his own plan to defeat ISIS, which includes directly arming the Kurdish forces and establishing a no-fly zone.