Former President George W. Bush will skip a White House event honoring his late mother, Barbara Bush. The event, hosted by First Lady Melania Trump, will include the unveiling of a postage stamp and feature speakers such as George W. Bush's sister, Doro Bush Koch.
Bush's absence is notable given his long-standing political distance from President Donald Trump. Bush has not endorsed Trump in previous presidential runs, and even wrote in Condoleezza Rice's name during the 2020 election. While attending Trump's inauguration, he notably did not stay for the luncheon.
The relationship between Bush and Trump has been marked by criticism from Trump towards Bush's presidency. Trump's previous comments criticizing Bush's leadership and handling of the Middle East conflict provide context for this latest event.
Bush's past veiled criticisms of Trump's appeal to anger, fear, and resentment further highlight the complex political dynamic between the two men.
Former president George W. Bush is not expected to attend a Thursday event at the White House honoring his late mother, two White House officials familiar with the plans told The Washington Post.
First lady Melania Trump is hosting the event in the East Room, where she will unveil a postage stamp honoring former first lady Barbara Bush, the wife of President George H.W. Bush. Other Bush family members and friends are expected to attend, Trump’s office said.
Attendees include Doro Bush Koch, George W. Bush’s younger sister who is listed as one of several featured speakers at the unveiling, and Alice Yates, chief executive of the George and Barbara Bush Foundation. A spokesperson for Bush did not respond to a request for comment.
Bush has kept his distance from President Donald Trump politically for years — he did not endorse Trump during any of his three presidential runs — while nonetheless congratulating Trump on his victories and attending both his inaugurations. Bush did not cast a ballot for Trump in 2016, and said that in 2020 he wrote in the name of his former secretary of state and national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice.
Bush and his wife, former first lady Laura Bush, attended Trump’s inauguration ceremony four months ago, but did not stay for the luncheon.
Trump, before and after he became president, has criticized Bush on several occasions.
After leaving office in 2021, Trump said Bush “led a failed and uninspiring presidency,” and that Bush was “responsible for getting us into the quicksand of the Middle East (and then not winning!)”
The comments followed veiled criticisms of Trump by Bush, who on the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks said U.S. politics in recent years had “become a naked appeal to anger, fear and resentment.”
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