President Donald Trump stayed away from the funeral of former-first lady Barbara Bush earlier this year.
As the nation turns its attention to the pending funeral of former President George H. W. Bush, many are already wondering if the individual currently residing in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump, will attend the service.
Trump did not attend the funeral of former-First Lady Barbara Bush in April 2018, citing disruptions due to the added security from his presence.
“First Lady Melania Trump will attend the memorial service for Barbara Bush…on behalf of the First Family. To avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush Family and friends attending the service, President Trump will not attend,” the White House said in a statement.
While the first lady did attend the service, some felt that Trump’s choice to forgo the service called back to the contentious relationship that the president had with Bush, the 41st president of the United States, and his son George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States.
The Bushes were candid in their concern regarding Trump’s ability to be a leader, with both revealing that they voted for candidates other than Trump in the 2016 election.
George H. W. Bush voted for Hillary Clinton while George W. Bush opted for “none of the above,” the two former presidents told Mark K. Updegrove, the writer of the book “The Last Republicans.”
Updegrove then shared their words in an interview with The New York Times in November 2017.
“I don’t like him. I don’t know much about him, but I know he’s a blowhard. And I’m not too excited about him being a leader,” George H. W. Bush said to Updegrove.
Both George W. Bush and his father expressed concern that Trump’s brash brand of politics would blow up the GOP.
President Donald Trump gestures during the plenary session on the opening day of Argentina G20 Leaders’ Summit 2018 at Costa Salguero on November 30, in Buenos Aires. Amilcar Orfali/Getty Images
In response to the article, the White House issued a statement from the president to CNN, saying: “If one Presidential candidate can disassemble a political party, it speaks volumes about how strong a legacy its past to presidents really had.
