Bush's Refusal to Call Out Trump Cements His Legacy

Tuesday, September 01, 2026

Writing for The New Yorker, Jacob Weisberg argues that Bush's enduring refusal to directly condemn Donald Trump isn't principled post-presidential restraint, but a politically convenient silence that comes out of fear, family loyalty and a fixation on repairing his own legacy. Weisberg describes Bush as someone whose public values stand in stark contrast to those of Trump's, with his support for immigration, free trade, diplomacy, civic decency and global health. Yet, Bush has consistently avoided naming or even challenging the president, even after he issued startling cuts to Bush's long-running program to help reduce HIV/AIDS in Africa. Weisberg can't understand why, as the only living former Republican president, Bush is refusing to allow the GOP to be remade in Trump's image.

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Bush could also fear that his legacy won't be seen as positive after he brought the U.S. into an unpopular war based on false information. Bush's failures around Hurricane Katrina and the economic crisis are still fresh in the minds of Americans. So, Trump could easily revive Bush's failures were he to weigh in, even impact fundraising for Bush's presidential library.

Weisberg closed by maintaining that Bush should set aside all trepidation and lend his voice to returning his party to a more logical position. Otherwise, he runs the risk of adding another failure to his legacy.

"Trump was burning his house down, and all Bush could bring himself to say was that it was a shame to see it destroyed. Perhaps he will paint portraits of some of the victims," Weisberg said.

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Yes W is, was and always will be a terrible person. Just because Trump has made him look like an amateur when it comes to being awful doesn't mean he's somehow not the person who got us into two disastrous wars because of his daddy issues.

#1 | Posted by qcp at 2026-09-01 09:29 AM | Reply

So George W. Bush wants to be remembered kindly?

I guess he could pay some people to do that. I mean, Trump will have to.

#2 | Posted by Zed at 2026-09-01 09:57 AM | Reply

If Trump's ballroom manages to be built, I would not be surprised if it mysteriously burns to the ground. And I would not be surprised that no one cares.

#3 | Posted by Zed at 2026-09-01 10:00 AM | Reply

I would not be surprised if it mysteriously burns to the ground.

Me either, given all the churches and Buddhist temples around the globe that are burning down mysteriously.

#4 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-09-01 10:26 AM | Reply

Bush just might squeak by and secure the only title he actually deserves: second-worst president.

#5 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-09-01 10:29 AM | Reply

So George W. Bush wants to be remembered kindly?

His legacy will forever be tied to the needless Iraq war, disposing of soldiers bodies KIA in a garbage dump and the trillions of dollars wasted on it.

#6 | Posted by Nixon at 2026-09-01 11:07 AM | Reply

- second-worst president.

DJT certainly has Worst Pres Ever locked up for the foreseeable future... the only way he could lose it is if Nero were resurrected as Pres, and that prolly wouldn't do it either.

I mean, he fiddled while Rome burned (not really, it likely a lyre as fiddles didn't exist for another millenia or so)... and Trump diddled.

#7 | Posted by Corky at 2026-09-01 11:24 AM | Reply

all the churches and Buddhist temples around the globe that are burning down mysteriously.

#4 | Posted by oneironaut

I guess that we'll just have to start locking you inside.

#8 | Posted by Zed at 2026-09-01 11:36 AM | Reply

4 | Posted by oneironaut

Public debate has turned to how to expunge all these Trump-forced monuments to himself after he is gone.

I'm all in favor of spending as much money as required to get them scraped off the face of the earth.

They are all no more worthy than monuments to Hitler. And the monuments to Hitler were in fact scraped off the face of the earth.

We no more need a Donald Trump ballroom than we need a statue of Saddam Hussein.

#9 | Posted by Zed at 2026-09-01 11:50 AM | Reply

all the churches and Buddhist temples around the globe that are burning down mysteriously.

#4 | Posted by oneironaut

Maga Maroons sure do love them some good conspiracy theories.

#10 | Posted by donnerboy at 2026-09-01 12:05 PM | Reply

"Weisberg can't understand why, as the only living former Republican president, Bush is refusing to allow the GOP to be remade in Trump's image."
wait...

#11 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-09-01 12:38 PM | Reply

...so, not having TDS is the problem?

#12 | Posted by john_savage2 at 2026-09-01 12:39 PM | Reply