Former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush will attend President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, the 43rd president’s office said in a statement Tuesday.
“President and Mrs. George W. Bush will attend the 58th Presidential Inauguration Ceremony on January 20, 2017, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.,” the statement read. “They are pleased to be able to witness the peaceful transfer of power — a hallmark of American democracy — and swearing-in of President Trump and Vice President Pence.”
Previously, Jimmy Carter was the only former commander in chief who had publicly said he would attend Trump’s inauguration. Bush’s father, President George H.W. Bush, will not be attending due to his health, a spokesman has told CNN, and President Bill Clinton — whose wife, Hillary Clinton, lost to Trump in the general election — has not yet announced whether he will be there.
Ex-presidents traditionally attend the ceremonial transfer of power at the US Capitol.
Despite being a fellow Republican, Bush did not vote for Trump on Election Day, a decision Trump later deemed “sad.” Bush’s father voted for Hillary Clinton, according to sources. During the primaries, both Bushes supported their family member, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who was a fierce challenger of Trump’s.
Just a week after the election, George W. Bush lamented the role that anger played in politics today.
“I understand anger, and some people may have been angry when I was president. But anger shouldn’t drive policy,” Bush said in Dallas in a rare public speech. “What needs to drive policy is what’s best for the people who are angry.”