Jeb Bush might be changing his mind about his statement that he’d like to see former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher on the $10 bill.
In an exclusive interview with NBC News, Bush instead said that he’d like to see the American people decide which woman deserves to be on U.S. currency, suggesting that a question about the bill during the second GOP presidential debate Wednesday night was not “the most relevant thing in the world.”
"I want to put more 20 dollar bills in people's pockets," he added.
Bush said that he'd use the internet to solicit suggestions.
“I would give it up to -- on the internet and let people decide this. That would generate a lot of interest,” he said. “It could create all sorts of opportunities for math teachers to teach math, for social studies teachers to do the same. You could have an avalanche of interest in picking the woman that should be on the $10 bill.”
While Republicans harbor plenty of admiration for the former leader of the Conservative Party in the U.K., Bush was ridiculed on social media for saying that he would nominate Thatcher for the honor rather than an American citizen.
“Probably illegal, but what the heck?” he joked Wednesday night. “Since it's not going to happen: A strong leader is what we need in the White House, and she certainly was a strong leader that restored the United Kingdom into greatness.”
Other candidates suggested Rosa Parks, while Ben Carson, Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump named members of their family.
Carly Fiorina, the only woman on the debate stage, said that she would not change the bill at all.
“I think, honestly, it's a gesture. I don't think it helps to change our history,” she said. “What I would think is that we ought to recognize that women are not a special interest group. Women are the majority of this nation. We are half the potential of this nation, and this nation will be better off when every woman has the opportunity to live the life she chooses.”
