The father-son duo of former presidents issued a statement Wednesday condemning hatred and borrowing the language of the Declaration of Independence to support equality.
America’s only living father-son duo of former presidents issued a statement Wednesday condemning hatred and borrowing Thomas Jefferson’s language from the Declaration of Independence to support equality.
The statement from former presidents George W. Bush, 71, and George H. W. Bush, 93, was released by family spokesman Jim McGrath.
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It comes after current President Donald Trump faced criticism for taking two days to call out the KKK and neo-Nazis before once again on Tuesday blaming “both sides” for Saturday’s violence in Charlottesville.
Here is the Bushes’ full statement, sent from the family’s vacation home in Kennebunkport, Maine:
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“America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms. As we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truths recorded by that city’s most prominent citizen in the Declaration of Independence: We are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights. We know these truths to be everlasting because we have seen the decency and greatness of our country.”
The elder Bush has been hospitalized twice this year for pneumonia. He was most recently discharged in late April after a two-week hospital stay.
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Former presidents generally remain quiet on issues that arise after their terms in office, deferring to their successors. As Politico observed in May, “Trump’s predecessors are trying to both defend their legacies and respect the unwritten rule of not undermining the current commander in chief.”
However, there have been calls this week from Democrats and some Republicans for former presidents to speak out in more clear terms than Trump has used. The Atlantic noted that former presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, both Democrats, quickly posted on Twitter about the violence.
