Former President George W. Bush won’t endorse anyone in the 2024 presidential race, says his office.
Bush’s decision stands in contrast to his former vice president, Dick Cheney. Cheney announced he’d vote for Democrat Kamala Harris over Republican Donald Trump.
Liz Cheney, Dick Cheney's daughter and a vocal Trump critic, urged fellow conservatives to back Harris as well.
Harris and her running mate, Tim Walz, have sought to attract Republicans unwilling to support Trump. In a CNN interview, Harris said she’d consider adding a Republican to her cabinet.
Bush’s office confirmed on Saturday that neither he nor Laura Bush would endorse or disclose their voting choice. "President Bush retired from presidential politics years ago,” the office stated.
Bush attended Trump’s 2016 inauguration but reportedly called Trump’s speech “some weird s***.” After that election, a spokesperson said Bush and his wife didn’t vote for Trump or Clinton.
In 2020, Bush again stayed neutral, voting for Condoleezza Rice instead of Biden or Trump.
On Friday, Liz Cheney said her father, Dick Cheney, would be voting for Kamala Harris. She added that her dad sees Trump as a major threat to democracy.
The Harris campaign highlighted the support she’s received from Republicans like the Cheneys, Adam Kinzinger, and others. The campaign is emphasizing its appeal to conservatives, independents, and moderates.
Despite Harris’s push to the center, a New York Times/Siena College poll shows Trump leading Harris by one percent, with many voters viewing her as too liberal.
Harris and Trump will face off in their first debate in Pittsburgh on Tuesday, hosted by ABC.