At the age of 12, Bush spoke before the
1988 Republican National Convention, which nominated his grandfather. He campaigned for his uncle, George W. Bush, during the
2000 and
2004 presidential campaigns.
He has been outspoken on certain issues. In
August 2004, during a trip to
Mexico sponsored by the group
Republicans Abroad, he called
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez a
dictator and criticized the
U.S. Border Patrol's use of guns which fire plastic pellets packed with chili powder. Bush was quoted as telling Mexican media, "If there has been American approval for this policy, that is reprehensible. It's kind of barbarous." He attributed the gun usage to "some local
INS guy who's trying to be tough, act macho", although it is an agency policy. The Mexico Solidarity Network pointed out that Bush is the grandson of a
migrant worker.
Despite speculation regarding his future, he has "vowed not to run for office for another 10 years" since he plans to "Make a name for myself, have a family, marry someone great, have some kids, buy a house, pay taxes, and do the things everyone also does...." Speaking specifically of his father's White House ambitions, he cites "Bush fatigue" as a discouraging factor.