# Why hasn't George W. Bush spoken out against Trump? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [August 23, 2024, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074 "2024-08-23T00:28:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jihi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jihi/32/17768_2.png) [@Jihi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jihi)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2024, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/41 "2024-08-25T05:56:23Z")
One of my common real world comments goes something like… “I disagreed with 99% of everything W did and said. But he was never a threat to the foundations of democracy. Trump is a uniquely dangerous individual.” Which is to say, Bush no longer being the worst president in living memory has nothing to do with Bush and everything to do with emphasizing how uniquely terrible Trump is. Both as a human being and as a so-called politician. > [@Atamasama](#): > > Now, that was at least partially in support of his daughter, but if he wanted to keep a low profile and not make enemies of MAGA he’d have kept his mouth shut. I’ll say this if nothing else about Dick Cheney. I dislike him even more than Bush. But other Republicans have had their own family members attacked by Trump and have kneeled and kissed the ring anyway. I’m sure a significant part of that is support for his daughter, but he at least did not do that. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/42 "2024-08-26T13:08:51Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > He’s been out of the fray long enough that the current alliance of Trumpists really have no way of touching him. I think Trump’s power to influence his followers toward violent action has faded somewhat, but people can still doxx or attack Bush in other ways. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/43 "2024-08-26T15:29:54Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > I think Trump’s power to influence his followers toward violent action has faded somewhat, but people can still doxx or attack Bush in other ways. I’m not sure a former president can be doxxed in the same way an ordinary citizen can. Isn’t his place of residence already known, to the public and the police? If the police get a call “send the SWAT team to the Bush estate!”, they’re going to proceed with maximum dilligence and not just charge inside. ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/44 "2024-08-26T15:34:45Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > If the police get a call “send the SWAT team to the Bush estate!”, they’re going to proceed with maximum dilligence and not just charge inside. And have to deal with the Secret Service protection detail. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/45 "2024-08-26T15:50:41Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > If the police get a call “send the SWAT team to the Bush estate!”, they’re going to proceed with maximum dilligence and not just charge inside. > [@Atamasama](#): > > And have to deal with the Secret Service protection detail. The Secret Service isn’t that incompetent. They’ll have the direct phone numbers of multiple local police commanders, and make sure the local police know how to contact the president’s security detail. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/46 "2024-08-26T15:54:03Z")
That, plus the police would have good reason to suspect a hoax. If there was something happening at George Bush’s home, there are probably other channels through which the police will be notified, not some random person calling 9-1-1. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/47 "2024-08-26T16:47:39Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > essentially the endgame for the strategy that started with Newt Gingrich’s [“Contract With America”](https://youtu.be/fSmVYqCqzkI?si=Km5VdcfnAK6A0IoE) Mrs. Martian insists that the correct title is “Contract _on_ America”. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/48 "2024-08-26T17:37:04Z")
That’s what I always called it. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2024, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/49 "2024-08-26T18:28:33Z")
Or you could just leave out the middle two letters of the first word. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2024, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/50 "2024-08-27T01:04:10Z")
Bush himself may be keeping quiet, but some of his former staff isn’t: [More than 200 Bush, McCain, Romney aides endorse Harris](https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/4848567-ex-aides-trump-bush-mccain-romney-endorse-harris/) > The letter said it was a reunion of sorts from 2020, though it added that additional Bush alumni in particular were added to the group this cycle that are opposing Trump and backing Harris. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/51 "2024-08-31T04:16:52Z")
NewsMax is freaking out that Bush might come out and endorse Harris: > **[MAGA PANICS As President Bush Drops BOMBSHELL On Trump](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOBNZi4BSJA%5C)** > > The MAGA cult running scared after Republican ex-President George Bush just dropped a devastating election bombshell on Donald Trump. Relevant bit starts at ~3:10. Looking in my “new to you” section the clickbait title got my attention, and googling didn’t turn up anything so I skip-watched to get to the point of the video. Now excuse me while I scrub my YouTube watched history. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2024, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/52 "2024-08-31T04:55:45Z")
Newsmax? I don’t know. If GWB endorsed Harris I don’t really know what weight that would carry. I guess it might confuse my brother and sister-in-law who live in TX and can’t stand DJT but they have been clear the won’t vote for an atheistic Democrat. I guess not voting in TX is a vote for Harris. I would wish this could move the needle a few degrees but I don’t really know to what extent the GOP of today even knows or respects GWB of 9/11 fame. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/53 "2024-09-01T20:01:11Z")
I hope GWB does it. I don’t think he will, but I hope he does. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/54 "2024-09-01T20:30:51Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > GWB was not obviously the worst president before T. There were a few 19th century presidents who were pretty bad (Fillmore and Buchanan, for example) and it’d be a matter of argument about who was worst. T has removed the need for that argument. I’d argue that Jackson was worse than GWB, too. Jackson and Trump have a lot in common, and that’s not a compliment to either man. I’ve been saying for a while that Bush, himself, was a basically decent person, who had the misfortune of being stupid enough to be easily manipulated by evil people. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/55 "2024-09-01T20:43:19Z")
In that respect, GWB is not that different from Trump, who is also surrounded by people who want to use his presidency to accomplish their goals. ---
**Author:** ![Dissonance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Dissonance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dissonance)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/56 "2024-09-02T02:08:11Z")
Sure, if you leave out that whole “a basically decent person part” there’s not any difference. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/57 "2024-09-02T02:19:21Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > In that respect, GWB is not that different from Trump, who is also surrounded by people who want to use his presidency to accomplish their goals. Bush wanted to be surrounded by legitimate experts. They might have been experts with views highly unpopular on this board, but they were experts. Trump is/was surrounded by legitimate experts only to the extent he mistakes them for the toadies he prefers. This actually gives some hope that GWB will issue stronger anti-Trump statements closer to the election. There’s an excellent chance he still talks with experts like Condoleezza Rice and John Bolton, and that they will push him in that direction. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/58 "2024-09-02T02:20:59Z")
My prediction is that GWB won’t endorse Harris or speak out against Trump and secondly even if he does, it will accomplish nothing. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/59 "2024-09-02T02:24:04Z")
FYI: Jack Kemp died in 2009. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2024, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074/60 "2024-09-02T02:52:22Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > My prediction is that GWB won’t endorse Harris or speak out against Trump and secondly even if he does, it will accomplish nothing. I hope you are wrong. You may be wrong. But you probably are correct in your first prediction. As for “accomplish nothing,” if the election is close enough, everything matters. The evidence for endorsements mattering a lot is strong for primary elections. So I think they must matter some for general elections. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-hasnt-george-w-bush-spoken-out-against-trump/1006074.md?page=4)