Jeb Bush: I'm happy to trail in the race

Jeb Bush

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who's been trailing in the polls since he announced his run for the presidency, said he's not worried about his lackluster survey showings – in fact, he likes it.

During Sunday news show interviews, Bush said the idea of being the frontrunner candidate, as some mainstream media outlets and establishment-type Republican political players painted him months ago, made him nervous.

"I hated that," he said, during an interview on "Face the Nation" on CBS News. "I feel much better back here."

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Bush has been struggling to gain momentum in the polls since the primary campaign season kicked off months ago, in part because of a Donald Trump-dominated atmosphere that's openly mocked the former governor as less-than-energetic. Bush has also fought to show himself as a viable candidate in the face of a political season that appears to favor outsiders.

Donald Trump has led in the national polls for weeks; former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, meanwhile, stood strong in second place for some time.

Bush's numbers currently stand around 3 percent, the New York Post reported.

On "Face the Nation," Bush elaborated on his preference for staying in the back of the pack, saying he knew he had an image problem to overcome in which many voters could accuse him of feeling entitled to the White House, given his family's presidential history.

"I have a brother that was president and a father that was president," Bush said. "So being the front-runner made me feel like that people are going to begin to say, 'Well, the guy is just dancing right through this.' I have to go earn it."

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Bush took a direct hit at Trump over the weekend, calling the billionaire businessman a "jerk" at one campaign stop, the New York Post said.

Trump, meanwhile, responded on "Meet the Press" on NBC to the Bush comment with a sharp rebuke of his own.

"He's an embarrassment to the Bush family," Trump said of Bush.