Former President George H. W. Bush admitted during the campaign last year that he doesn’t like Donald Trump.
Former President George H. W. Bush shared during the campaign last year that he doesn't like Donald Trump.
According to CNN, the now-93-year-old made these on-the-record comments to historian Mark Updegrove who has released a new book titled, "The Last Republicans," about him and his son, former President George W. Bush.
The elder Bush told Updegrove in May 2016, "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."
Both men cited Trump's ego and lack of humility as drawbacks to his viability as a leader, and the younger Bush pointed out that when the businessman said, "I am my own adviser," it showed a lack of understanding about what being president entailed.
As such, Trump failed to win either of their votes, with George H. W. Bush casting his ballot for Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton and his son saying he chose, in his words, "none of the above," reports the New York Times.
Since he was interviewed for the book by Updegrove, the younger Bush has issued other critical remarks which seem to be aimed at President Trump.
He gave a speech last month saying, "...we know that when we lose sight of our ideals, it is not democracy that has failed. It is the failure of those charged with preserving and protecting democracy."
He also decried what he called "nationalism distorted into nativism."
Update:
The White House has released a scathing statement in response to critical remarks by former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush in the new book.
"If one presidential candidate can disassemble a political party, it speaks volumes about how strong a legacy its past two presidents really had. And that begins with the Iraq war, one of the greatest foreign policy mistakes in American history," a White House official told CNN. "President Trump remains focused on keeping his promises to the American people by bringing back jobs, promoting an 'America First' foreign policy and standing up for the forgotten men and women of our great county."
