By Drew Jones
June 9, 2020
Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush announced his intention to vote for President Donald Trump in November, representing a rare public nod of support for the president from Bush’s legendary political family.
“President Trump is the only thing standing between America and socialism,” Bush, the son of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and nephew of former President George W. Bush, said in a statement provided by his office while also announcing plans to give Trump a formal endorsement.
“I endorsed President Trump in the 2016 election cycle and plan to do so again in 2020,” he said, without offering a timetable for when the endorsement would come.
The announcement, which was first reported by The Dallas Morning News, comes on the heels of a New York Times report that cited people close to George W. Bush who said they were aware of the former president’s intention not to cast a vote for Trump in November. Jeb Bush was reportedly not “sure how he’ll vote,” but a spokesman for the former president has since told The Texas Tribune that the story is “completely made up.”
George P. Bush has been a supporter and ally of the president since Trump won the nomination in 2016. Trump reciprocated in 2018, endorsing George P. Bush for land commissioner in the 2018 primary.
Trump praised George P. Bush for supporting him “when it wasn’t the politically correct thing to do,” making a reference to, among others, the members of the Bush family who distanced themselves from the president’s rhetoric as Jeb Bush withered during the 2016 race.
Neither former President George H.W. Bush nor his wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, voted for Trump in 2016, joining the Bush brothers who also declined to vote for the president. George P. Bush has been called by the president the “Bush that got it right” and has been supportive of Trump’s policies and handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
“Even in a global pandemic where we have had to take unprecedented measures to protect public health, the economy is already returning,” George P. Bush told The Dallas Morning News. “It’s clear, America and Texas will continue to be stronger than ever.”
"One Bush makes his choice clear: George P. Bush will endorse Donald Trump" was first published at https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/09/george-p-bush-vote-endorse-donald-trump/ by The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is proud to celebrate 10 years of exceptional journalism for an exceptional state.Texas Tribune story here.