Jeb Bush: Donald Trump should 'stop saying things that aren't true'

Former presidential candidate says president's tweets are 'distractions from the task at hand'

Donald Trump should stop tweeting “things that are not true” because he is threatening his policy agenda, according to Jeb Bush, his former rival for the Republican presidential nomination, .

The former Governor of Florida said the President's angry rants on Twitter were “distractions from the task at hand”.

"He hasn’t shifted to being president in the way that people are used to and I think that’s the problem", he told CBS Miami.

Mr Trump needed to learn the difference between running a campaign and serving as president where “your words have consequences that go way beyond that”, he said.

"My hope is, for our country’s sake, that he understands the enormity of the challenge he faces, and the great potential and opportunity that he has”, he added.

Mr Trump’s use of the social media platform has drawn criticism from several quarters, especially after he accused Barack Obama of secretly “wiretapping” Trump Tower - a claim that he has not provided any evidence to substantiate.

FBI Director James Comey later told a congressional hearing that neither the Department of Justice nor his own agency had evidence to support a claim.

He has also used the social media website to make unsubstantiated claims about voter fraud during the presidential election.

Mr Trump’s tweeting also got him in diplomatic hot water when he incorrectly suggested Germany “owed” the US money for its contributions to the Nato alliance.

Mexico, China and Iran have also borne the brunt of a 140 character rant from the US leader.

The US President was also criticised after complained about a chain department stores for dropping his daughter Ivanka's brands.