Liberals were not fond of George W. Bush when he was the commander in chief, but he's become a bit more beloved since Donald Trump became President. Bush delivered a speech at the Bush Institute's Spirit of Liberty event in New York on Thursday. The 43rd president of the United States didn't mention the 45th president by name in his speech, but his disapproval was clear as he delivered veiled attacks on Trump, condemning "bullying and prejudice in our public life," as well as the isolationism and nationalism that's taken hold in the White House.
Bush condemned "nationalism distorted into nativism." He derided "discourse degraded by casual cruelty." He acknowledged that "our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication." And, most importantly, Bush said that "bigotry seems emboldened."
"We become the heirs of Martin Luther King Jr. by recognizing one another not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character," Bush said toward the end of his speech. "This means people of every race, ethnicity, and religion can be fully and equally American. It means that bigotry or white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed. It means the very identity of our nation depends on the passing of civic ideals to the next generation."
George W. Bush and his father, former president George H.W. Bush, let it be known that they did not vote for Trump, and the elder Bush was not present at the inauguration. They also released a statement denouncing white supremacists after the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, something Trump didn't outright do. Trump spent much of the primary season bullying fellow Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, as it appears he doesn't have much respect for the family.
When asked if he thought his message would reach the White House, W. smiled and nodded, saying, "I think it will."
