Former President George W. Bush and former First Lady Laura Bush will attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden in Washington DC later this month, his chief of staff Freddie Ford announced on Tuesday.
The Bush family’s plans to attend the inauguration were revealed just a day before the scheduled meeting for Congress to review the results of the Electoral College vote. Several prominent Republicans, including Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Josh Hawley of Missouri signaled their intention to oppose Biden’s victory due to alleged voting irregularities in battle states.
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“President and Mrs. Bush are looking forward to returning to the Capitol for President Biden and Vice President Harris to take office,” Ford wrote on Twitter. “I believe this will be the eighth inauguration they will be privileged to attend – President Trump being the most recent – and witnessing the peaceful transfer of power is a hallmark of our democracy that never grows old.”
The George W. Bush Presidential Center did not immediately respond to a request for additional comments.
Bush, 74, is the only living Republican ex-president. Trump has repeatedly clashed with Bush and his brother, former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush, since he entered the political arena.
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Trump personally hammered Jeb Bush during the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, referring to the former Florida governor as “low energy” on numerous occasions during his campaign.
In May, Trump criticized George W. Bush for launching a video message calling for unity during the coronavirus pandemic, tweeting that the former president “was not found” in speaking out against the Democratic Party’s attempt to challenge him.
Bush first congratulated Biden on his November 8 election victory.
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“Although we have political differences, I know that Joe Biden is a good man, who gained the opportunity to lead and unify our country,” Bush said in a statement at the time.
Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, will not attend Biden’s inauguration, a spokesman said on Tuesday. Carter, 96, has battled several illnesses in recent years.