Former President Bill Clinton has defended his successor George W. Bush for not giving an endorsement in the presidential election despite a push for him to back Kamala Harris.
Clinton, 78, said Bush is a ‘proud Republican’ and wouldn’t want to ‘give up’ the party he has dedicated his life to by picking a side.
Bush’s daughter Barbara campaigning for Harris sparked calls for the former president to break his silence and disavow Donald Trump.
But Bush, also 78, has instead chosen to remain on the sidelines when it comes to having his say on the top of the ticket.
He last endorsed John McCain in 2008 and has since avoided campaigning in his post-presidency.
In Texas he has shown support for local Democratic Rep. Colin Allred, who is running for the Senate against Senator Ted Cruz.
Clinton said Bush referred to Allred as a ‘good guy’ and congratulated him when he was first elected to Congress.
Former President Bill Clinton has defended his successor George W. Bush for not giving an endorsement in the presidential election despite a push for him to back Kamala Harris
But that was behind the scenes, and Bush has since been far more tempered with any public endorsements.
‘First of all, he’s spoken up, I think, more than he’s gotten credit for, and he takes every opportunity that I’ve seen to talk about how important immigration is and how we can’t survive without it,’ Clinton told CNN of Bush on Sunday.
‘He also knows, beginning with our relationship, it’s very different when you’re out of political life, when there is no competition, no consequence,’ Clinton added.
‘And I think he believes that since he was a proud Republican all those years, it’s enough for him to make clear what he believes with all this, without giving up the party he’s been with all his life.’
Clinton, 78, said Bush is a ‘proud Republican’ and wouldn’t want to ‘give up’ the party he has dedicated his life to by picking a side
Bush looks on prior to Game One of the World Series between the Texas Rangers and the Arizona Diamondbacks at Globe Life Field on October 27, 2023 in Arlington, Texas
Liz Cheney, daughter of Bush’s former Vice President Dick Cheney, had already thrown her support behind Harris – alongside her father
In September of this year a spokesman for Bush told DailyMail.com that he had no plans to make any public endorsement.
‘He retired from presidential politics many years ago,’ they said, adding that neither Bush nor his wife Laura would reveal who they are voting for in November.
Former Republican Rep. turned Harris ally Liz Cheney urged Bush to come off the fence last week.
His former communications director Nicolle Wallace has also came out and told WSNBC she hopes Bush has a ‘change of heart’ and takes a stand against Trump.
She said: ‘We have a right to hope that those who have stood for freedom and celebrated those who have protected it might have a last-minute change of heart in the closing hours of this campaign.’
Despite Bush keeping mom, his daughter Barbara told People: ‘It was inspiring to join friends and meet voters with the Harris-campaign in Pennsylvania this weekend.
‘I’m hopeful they’ll move our country forward and protect women’s rights.’
It was a low key gesture, but nevertheless made her the latest person identified with the pre-Trump Republican Party to throw her support to the Democratic candidate.
The activist is no stranger to campaigning, although she keeps a low public profile.
She spoke at the Republican National Convention in 2004 and campaigned for her dad’s reelection in swing states.
Her twin sister Jenna previously spoke about the personal toll politics takes when Joe Biden announced he wouldn’t be seeking reelection.
‘We’ve become a country that is so divided about politics that sometimes it’s hard to think, ‘Oh my gosh, he’s a human,’ Jenna told the Today show.
‘I just hope we can get back as a country to a place where it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, he’s a human and this must have been a really difficult decision,’ and one in which his family helped probably support, but also are sad about and that is understandable,’
It was a low key gesture, but nevertheless made her the latest person identified with the pre-Trump Republican Party to throw her support to the Democratic candidate
Both Cheneys are former House Republican leaders with the elder Cheney serving two terms as George W. Bush’s Republican vice president between 2001 and 2009
The former president is seen here alongside his wife Laura, and daughters Jenna and Barbara
The registered Republican called his decision ‘admirable’ and said Biden had to make ‘a hard decision because a lot of one-term presidents don’t feel like the job has been done.’
Trump continually mocked George Bush’s younger brother Jeb – the sister’s uncle – throughout his successful 2016 campaign.
He has called their father’s two terms in office ‘a failed and uninspiring presidency,’ while essentially taking over the party where the Bush dynasty held sway for years.
Trump has also tore into Dick Cheney, while labeling his daughter Liz Cheney – who is campaigning for Harris – a ‘warmonger.’
‘Her father was responsible for invading the Middle East, killing millions of Arabs – millions – and this is the one that Kamala is campaigning with,’ Trump said.
Speaking on Thursday night at an event with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Trump sparked outrage after branding Liz Cheney a ‘dumb war hawk’.
He said: ‘She’s a radical war hawk. Let’s put her with a rifle standing there with nine barrels shooting at her, okay, let’s see how she feels about it. You know, when the guns are trained on her face.’
‘She’s a radical war hawk,’ Trump began before speculating about a possible firing squad
Democrats immediately criticized him for the comment but Harris took it a step further, saying Trump should no longer be in the presidential race.
She told reporters: ‘Anyone who wants to be president of the United States who uses that kind of violent rhetoric is clearly is disqualified and unqualified to be president.’
Harris called Cheney ‘a true patriot who has shown extraordinary courage in putting country above party.’
‘Trump, however, considers his political opponents the enemy and is permanently out for revenge and increasingly unstable and unhinged. His enemies list has grown longer.’
‘His rhetoric has grown more extreme, and he is even less focused than before on the needs and the concerns and the challenges facing the American people,’ Harris added.
The Democratic nominees said she has not spoken to Cheney since Trump’s remark.
Trump has long railed against Cheney, who criticized him for his role in the January 6th insurrection and was one of two Republican lawmakers who sat on the House committee investigating it.
Back in March, Trump called for Cheney to be jailed over her role in investigating the January 6 attack on the Capitol.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Cheney should ‘go to jail along with the rest’ of the select January 6 House committee.
