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Former President George W. Bush on Sunday congratulated President-elect Joe Biden on winning the White House, sending a strong message to his fellow Republicans about the legitimacy of an election that President Donald Trump has refused to concede.
Bush, a Dallas resident, said in a news release that earlier on Sunday he spoke to both Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on the phone.
“Though we have political differences, I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country,” Bush said. “The President-elect reiterated that while he ran as a Democrat, he will govern for all Americans.”
He added: “No matter how you voted, your vote counted.”
“President Trump has the right to request recounts and pursue legal challenges, and any unresolved issues will be properly adjudicated,” he said. “The American people can have confidence that this election was fundamentally fair, its integrity will be upheld, and its outcome is clear.”
The Texan’s statement made him the nation’s most prominent Republican to confirm the election’s legitimacy, putting him at odds with Trump and many of the current president’s GOP allies, who’ve continued to make baseless claims that election fraud allowed Biden to steal a win.
Bush nodded at the fraught moment, saying the “challenges that face our country will demand the best of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris – and the best of us all.”
“We must come together for the sake of our families and neighbors, and for our nation and its future,” he said, adding that he and his wife, Laura, "pray for our leaders and their families. “There is no problem that will not yield to the gathered will of a free people.”
It remains to be seen how Bush’s move will reverberate through the GOP.
There’s always been tension between Bush and Trump, particularly after Trump criticized the former president as he blasted Bush’s brother Jeb during the 2016 White House campaign and then Bush revealed on Election Day that year that he voted “none of the above” for president.
(Bush and his wife, Laura, kept their presidential selections to themselves this year, with Bush spokesman Freddy Ford stressing that the Texan is “retired from presidential politics.”
Not only is Bush’s standing in the modern-day GOP is unclear. The reality is that the former president also has the luxury of being a Republican whose political career is finished, meaning that he doesn’t need to fear retribution from Trump and his supporters in any coming elections.
Many current GOP office holders, particularly those with White House ambitions, have either declined to acknowledge Biden’s win or have even stoked the unsubstantiated fraud allegations.
Utah Sen. Mitt Romney – the GOP’s 2012 presidential nominee who’s often been at odds with Trump – has been arguably the most notable Republican in Congress to buck Trump over his refusal to concede.
Here’s Bush’s statement in its entirety:
“I just talked to the President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden. I extended my warm congratulations and thanked him for the patriotic message he delivered last night. I also called Kamala Harris to congratulate her on her historic election to the vice presidency. Though we have political differences, I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country. The President-elect reiterated that while he ran as a Democrat, he will govern for all Americans. I offered him the same thing I offered Presidents Trump and Obama: my prayers for his success, and my pledge to help in any way I can. I want to congratulate President Trump and his supporters on a hard-fought campaign. He earned the votes of more than 70 million Americans – an extraordinary political achievement. They have spoken, and their voices will continue to be heard through elected Republicans at every level of government. The fact that so many of our fellow citizens participated in this election is a positive sign of the health of our democracy and a reminder to the world of its strength. No matter how you voted, your vote counted. President Trump has the right to request recounts and pursue legal challenges, and any unresolved issues will be properly adjudicated. The American people can have confidence that this election was fundamentally fair, its integrity will be upheld, and its outcome is clear. The challenges that face our country will demand the best of President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Harris – and the best of us all. We must come together for the sake of our families and neighbors, and for our nation and its future. There is no problem that will not yield to the gathered will of a free people. Laura and I pray for our leaders and their families. We ask for God’s continued blessings on our country. And we urge all Americans to join us in wishing our next President and Vice President well as they prepare to take up their important duties.”