Bush says Trump was a Democrat longer than a Republican 'in the last decade'

After losing ground to Donald Trump in the polls following the first GOP presidential debate, Jeb Bush has gone on the attack, questioning the real estate mogul’s Republican bona fides.

"Mr. Trump doesn't have a proven conservative record," Bush said at a town hall in Merrimack, N.H., on Aug. 19, 2015. "He was a Democrat longer in the last decade than he was a Republican."

Bush also said Trump has given more money to Democrats than he has given to Republicans, a claim we’ve previously rated Mostly False. Bush tweeted video of the town hall the same night, calling Trump "a tax-hiking Democrat."

In his defense, Trump said on Face The Nation on Aug. 23 that living in Manhattan for years affected his alignment.

"I was from an area that was all Democrat," Trump said. "And, frankly, over the years, I have — and especially as I have gotten more and more involved — I have evolved."

We know Trump has changed his political affiliation several times over the years, but we wanted to figure out just when and how the billionaire liked to party.

Choosing sides

Trump has regularly said that he has a broad range of political positions. "I identify with some things as a Democrat," he told MSNBC in July. He had told CNN the same thing back in 2004. He’s also expressed interest in running as a third-party candidate.

According to the New York City Board of Elections, Trump has changed his party affiliation five times since registering as a Republican in Manhattan in 1987. A form that year notes he had previously been registered in the Jamaica Estates neighborhood of Queens, where he grew up, but his prior affiliation was not identified.

Trump’s affiliations have gone back and forth since then. Here’s a quick look:

Month and year of registration

Party affiliation

July 1987

Republican

October 1999

Independence Party