Former President George W. Bush speaks during the Struggle for Freedom Conference at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas, on November 16, 2022. time
Richard Rodriguez | Getty Images
Former President George Bush does not plan to endorse the presidential candidate, his office told NBC News on Saturday.
Asked whether the former president or his wife, Laura, would endorse a candidate or make public how they would vote, Bush’s office said “no.”
“President Bush retired from presidential politics several years ago,” the office added.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign declined to comment but pointed to the campaign’s Republican outreach efforts.
Bush’s former Vice President Dick Cheney announced on friday He will support Harris in the November election.
“Never in our nation’s 248-year history has an individual posed a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump,” Cheney said in a statement. “After voters rejected him, he sought to exploit lies. and violence to steal the last election to keep himself in power.”
Days earlier, former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, the daughter of the former vice president, said she would vote for Harris. The Cheneys are both Republicans and both are critical of former President Trump, with the younger Cheney being particularly outspoken.
In response to a reporter’s question on Saturday, Harris said she was “honored” to have the support of the Cheneys, adding that it “really reinforces their belief that we love our country and that we have more in common than we have differences.” “
The fact that Bush is not endorsing the party’s nominee is noteworthy in itself. 2012, Bush said He supported Republican candidate Mitt Romney against former President Barack Obama. Four years ago, Bush endorsed the late Sen. John McCain for president 2008.
two-term former president bush’s team 2016 says Father and son will avoid commenting on Trump. Instead, Bush is committed to supporting Republican Senator. In 2016, neither Bush nor his wife voted for either major party’s presidential candidate. The spokesman said That Year.
President Bush Sr. passed away in 2018, but President Bush Jr. said in 2021 that he written in Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is running for president in 2020.
Despite policy differences, several prominent moderate Republicans and former Trump administration officials have broken with the former president and endorsed Harris.
The Harris campaign released more than two dozen Supporters from Republicans include former Republican Governor Bill Weld of Massachusetts; former Rep. Denver Riggleman of Virginia; and former Trump administration press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
In late August, more than 200 former employees For President Bush’s part, McCain and Romney signed a letter endorsing Harris’ candidacy for president.
As part of the campaign’s efforts to reach out to Republican voters, the Harris campaign hired a national Republican engagement director to focus on independent and moderate Republican voters, as well as Republican support for the Harris plan.
— NBC News’ Nnamdi Egwuonwu, Sarah Dean, Tara Prindiville and Monica Alba contributed to this report.
