GOP candidates definitely know that “Malala” is the name of a prominent person that exists. This much we know. GOP candidates do not, however, seem to have any idea who Malala Yousafzai is—or in Jeb Bush’s case, that she is not, in fact, Barack Obama’s daughter.

Speaking at the Council of Foreign Relations today about the consequences of our cultural divide with China, Jeb had this tale to tell. From Politico:

And every meeting I had in Beijing started out for the first 10 minutes started out lambasting me about why it was, as an American, why it was that we insulted China. And I’m thinking, you know what, it could be that Mrs. Obama was worried about the science project of Malala.


In all fairness, there is perhaps a chance that Mrs. Obama was, in fact, worried about some sort of science project by Malala. Though considering that Malala was still chronicling her life in Pakistan under Taliban rule at the time, this seems unlikely.

What’s more likely, however, is that Mrs. Obama was worried about her daughter’s, Malia’s, science project. Jeb. Jeb. Buddy. We’ve been though this before.

Jeb.

[h/t Politico]


Contact the author at ashley@gawker.com. Image via Getty.