Former President George W. Bush is reportedly not going to back the re-election of President Donald Trump.
Bush, who was the nation’s 43rd president is one of several members at the top of the GOP who are keeping quiet on their support for the incumbent.
What is less clear is whether Bush will end up supporting Biden, according to the New York Times.
However, alongside Bush, Senator Mitt Romney is also said to be considering placing a vote for Biden. Neither Bush, nor Romney voted for Trump in the 2016 election.
Bush has not spoken out publicly against Trump, but the president tweeted about his predecessor during his impeachment trial.
‘Oh bye [sic] the way, I appreciate the message from former President Bush, but where was he during Impeachment calling for putting partisanship aside,’ Trump wrote on Twitter. ‘He was nowhere to be found in speaking up against the greatest Hoax in American history!’
Dan Bartlett, who served in the Bush White House as counselor to the president told Statesman he hasn’t ‘heard of anything about Bush even contemplating an endorsement and would be surprised if he jumped in on either side.’
It’s a similar view held by Republican book author and expert Mark Updegrove.
‘He’s obviously not a fan,’ Updegrove said when it comes to George W’s feelings about Trump. ‘He told me in mid-2016 that Trump ‘really doesn’t understand the job of president’ and later that he voted for ‘none of the above’.
Updegrove said that it was unlikely Bush would vote for Biden but he wouldn’t be endorsing Trump.
Bush’s brother, Jeb, is also planning not to vote for Trump, along with Senator Romney as well.
Others include John McCain’s widow, Cindy McCain, who is likely to vote for Biden.
The report also notes Republican former Speaker Paul Ryan and former Speaker John Boehner are not declaring publicly how they will vote but some in the GOP may decide to go for a third-party contender or simply openly declare their vote for Biden who is about to launch a ‘Republicans for Biden’ arm to his campaign.
The Times reports that the numbers of Republicans thinking of holding back a vote for Trump is growing with some possibly contemplating a vote for the Democrats, particularly in light of the president’s response to last weeks protests of police brutality and his handling of the coronavirus crisis.
Party divisions in the GOP erupted after retired Marine General James Mattis, Trump’s former Secretary of Defense, issued a stinging public rebuke of Trump, accusing the president of ‘abuse of executive authority’ to stage a ‘bizarre photo op’ earlier in the week which saw authorities having to tear gas peaceful protesters outsider the White House.
‘Donald Trump is the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people — does not even pretend to try. Instead, he tries to divide us,’ Mattis wrote in a statement.
Senator Lisa Murkowski of Maine also broke party ranks on Thursday to say she is struggling to decide whether she can support Trump’s re-election, and backed Mattis’ critique.
Asked if she supported Trump, who faces voters in November, Murkowski said, ‘I am struggling with it. I have struggled with it for a long time.’
‘He is our duly elected president. I will continue to work with him … but I think right now as we are all struggling to find ways to express the words that need to be expressed appropriately,’ Murkowski said.
Nevertheless, there are still plenty rank-and-file Republicans whom Trump can count on their loyal support along with other big names in the GOP who seem happy to support Trump no matter what. (Daily Mail)
