RTX1Q7T8
Trump and Bush are going at each other in different languages. Seen above: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump signs autographs during the National Federation of Republican Assemblies at Rocketown in Nashville, Tennessee, Aug. 29, 2015. Reuters

Jeb Bush and Donald Trump literally aren't even speaking the same language now. In what has been an escalating war between the two Republicans, the candidates are now exchanging blows over what language people in the United States should be speaking. Spoiler: The candidate who has built his run on hard-line anti-immigrant policies says, "English," and the one who is married to a Mexican says, "y Español."

At a recent Bush campaign event, Bush attacked Trump's sincerity to the Republican cause, saying "El hombre no es conservador," or, "He isn't a conservative." Trump, in response, said that Bush "should really set the example by speaking English while in the United States." The Bush campaign hit back quickly, saying that Trump was alienating the important Hispanic voter bloc and hurting the Republican party.

Trump is "against Spanish? Says Reagan not conservative? Looks like one man mission to kill GOP," Bush campaign manager Danny Diaz wrote on Twitter on Wednesday. Bush defended his language skills Thursday, calling the United States a “diverse country” and “we should celebrate that diversity and embrace a set of shared values, and Mr. Trump doesn’t believe in those shared values. He wants to tear us apart. He doesn’t believe in tolerance. He doesn’t believe in the things that have created the greatness of this country.”

One in five U.S. residents, or more than 61.8 million people, speak a foreign language at home, according to the Center for Immigration Studies.

The war between Bush and Trump heated up this week when the two released videos attacking each other online. Bush noted liberal views that Trump previously had expressed, including support of Hillary Clinton and her ability to negotiate a nuclear agreement with Iran. Trump compared Bush's comments on illegal immigration to the legacy of former presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, who, as governor of Massachusetts, allowed a convicted murderer to take a weekend leave from prison during which he assaulted a couple, stabbing the man and raping the woman.

Trump is leading in polling of early nominating states Iowa and New Hampshire, having usurped Bush in the position. He's also first in national polls. Bush is fighting to reclaim his former top-dog position and just recently began the direct approach in the hope of taking down Trump.

Follow me on Twitter: @ClarkMindock