As the controversy surrounding Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer continues, a nearly 30-year-old letter written by former President George H.W. Bush has surfaced where he talks about some of the potential pitfalls of family political contacts during his presidential campaign.
As the controversy surrounding Donald Trump Jr.’s meeting with a Russian lawyer continues, a nearly 30-year-old letter written by former President George H.W. Bush has surfaced where he talks about some of the potential pitfalls of family political contacts during his presidential campaign.
In the May 1988 letter, which was posted to Twitter Thursday by New York Magazine contributor Yashar Ali, the senior Bush tells his son George W. Bush, “We are about to sail into unchartered waters, in terms of family scrutiny. We’ve all been through a lot of inquiry and microscopic probing; however, it’ll get worse...Hence this letter to family.”
He also writes, “My plea is this: please do not contact any federal agency or department on anything. A call from a ‘Bush’ will get returned, but there is a great likelihood that it will be leaked; maybe deliberately misrepresented.”
Bush Sr. adds, “If there is a legitimate inquiry, call my office. It is certainly appropriate to contact your own government, but let’s do it through my office so no one can accuse any of the family of trying to use influence. I know I must sound very defensive, but — believe me — every effort will be made to find some phone call, some inquiry, some letter that can be made to appear improper.”
According to a McClatchy report, “The Bush Sr. letter has surfaced before, both during the election and after Trump was elected. But it received much more attention than before in light of the Trump Jr. scandal.”
This isn’t the first time the Bushes have been placed in a positive light when compared to the current administration; some historians have suggested that the legacy of former President George W. Bush, which was reportedly damaged by response to Hurricane Katrina, has improved given the divisive style of President Trump.
As historian and author Ronald L. Feinman has said, “I think Trump is going to cause everybody to rise. He will make Andrew Johnson and James Buchanan rise. He makes Nixon look good.”
In fact, this broad sentiment led to a Huffington Post op-ed in May titled, “People, Please Stop Sugarcoating George W. Bush!”
In it, contributor Jack Bristow argues that “George W. Bush and his cronies shouldn’t be praised at all. If anything, they set the stage for Trump.”
