George W Bush Has Not Joined the Resistance

Commemorating Presidents' Day, former president George W. Buxh recently wrote a piece honoring President George Washington for More Perfect initiative of the substack In Pursuit. (This was a segment in a series in which ex-presidents and others are invited to write about an ex-President.) The second paragraph of his essay captures its spirit:

Few qualities have inspired me more than Washington’s humility. I have studied the corrupting nature of power, and how retaining power for power’s sake has infected politics for generations. Our first president could have remained all-powerful, but twice he chose not to. In so doing, he set a standard for all presidents to live up to. His life, with all its flaws and achievements, should be studied by all who aspire to leadership. George Washington’s humility in giving up power willingly remains among the most consequential decisions and important examples in American politics.

Much of the media swooned. Inquisitr recognizes "reports suggesting criticism of Trump argue that the essay is heavy with subtext" while "some readers.... believe that Bush is directly being critical of Trump." A reporter for the Culture section of The New York Times, contrasting the Washington presidency with the Bush presidency, remarked

The essay praising Washington's decision to step aside comes as the idea that Donald Trump would run for a third term has continued to circulate since the beginning of his second term last January- by the president and people in his inner circle. Trump 2028 merchandise went on sale in early 2025.

The New Republic noted that Bush 43 had praised the first President for his "'humility', a deep appreciation for history, a revernce for knowledge superior to his own, and an unwilliness to retain power'for power's sake.'" Moreover

Bush’s adoring gaze toward the qualities of America’s first president only served to underscore just how unpresidential the current administration has become.

Bush waxed poetic on several of George Washington’s qualities, but paid particular attention to ones that are currently in short supply. Those included “humility,” a deep appreciation for history, a reverence for knowledge superior to his own, and an unwillingness to retain power “for power’s sake.”..

The message carried particular weight considering that Donald Trump has continually contested election results in fruitless grasps at power, including an attempt to overthrow the 2020 presidential election and threats to run for president a third time, against the constraints of the law.

Yet, the Republican ex-President invoked only those attributes which President Washington possessed. He did not mention those things Washington avoided: a love of tyrants; encouraging a violent insurrection or the execution of his political enemies; monetizing the presidency; a penchant for lying: a fondness for calling enemies "vermin" or "radical left thugs."  or "Dummy Beto," "degenerate animal," "Dirty Cop," "third rate reporter," or "crazy" anybody.

Former US Representative Joe Wilson, an early and now repentant Tea Partier, is having none of it. Responding to the whitewashing of George W Bush, Wilson argues

And W has not said a damn thing. His utter silence in this age of Trump. He could have made a difference. His utter silence in this age of Trump has been so damn cowardly and such a damn dispappointment, I don't give a flying fuck about George W Bush's "subtle jabs" or "subtle swipes" at Trump. Fuck his subtle jabs. George W- what a disappointment. Respectfully, you can fuck right off."

George W Bush’s utter silence in this age of Trump has been so damn cowardly and such a damn disappointment. Respectfully George W, you can fuck right off.👇 pic.twitter.com/Sg1ABiSN5L

— Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) February 17, 2026

If Bush wanted to take a figurative shot at, or throw "shade" (as the Times put it) upon Donald Trump, he could have mentioned any of these, or a couple of dozen other, faults. He might have invoked the name of the incumbent President, referred to "the President" or the "office's incumbent." Anything to suggest that he was thinking of Donald J. Trump. But he didn't. Instead, the stunningly dishonest Bush concludes

I often say that the office of the president is more important than the occupant; that the institution of the presidency gives ballast to our ship of state. For that stability we are indebted to the wisdom of our founding fathers’ governing charter and the humility of our nation’s first president. It has guided us for 250 years, and it will strengthen us for our next 250 years.

Donald Trump has proven that the office of the President can pale in comparison to the occupant; that there currently is no "ballast" to "our ship of state" and the country is deeply unstable; that the wisdom of our Founding Fathers and humility of our first President does not currently guide us. There is no indication that any of that "will strengthen us for our next 250 years" any more than it will guide us for the next 250 days. If, without endorsing any specific policy, Bush had tried to defend and honor the current President, he need not have changed one word of his article.

Odds were overwhelming, as George W Bush left the presidency and in the years following, that he would not be as bad an ex-President as he was a President. He has defied those odds.

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