George W. Bush Subtly Trashes Trump in Presidents Day Message

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Daily Beast

Updated Feb. 16 2026 8:45AM EST
Published Feb. 16 2026 8:20AM EST


George W. Bush has penned a Presidents Day essay that made some pointed observations about power, humility, and presidents who refuse to step down from office. The essay was published Monday by More Perfect, a bipartisan alliance working to “protect and renew” American democracy in the lead-up to the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

The piece, which pays homage to George Washington, is the inaugural entry in a new history project called “In Pursuit,” and while it does not name President Donald Trump, it does seem to shade him, The New York Times reported. “Our first president could have remained all-powerful, but twice he chose not to,” Bush wrote. “In doing so, he set a standard for all presidents to live up to.”

The first president’s decision to relinquish control of the U.S. Army after the American Revolution and to step down from the presidency after two terms “ensured America wouldn’t become a monarchy, or worse,” Bush added.

His words seemed heavy with subtext, considering the current occupant of the White House tried to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden, and is now threatening to run for a third, illegal presidential term.

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/george-w-bush-subtly-trashes-donald-trump-in-presidents-day-message/

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Link to ESSAY - George Washington by George W. Bush

[Blues Heron]

1. How is this mass murderer walking free? Go back in your back in your bottle Shrub

[BlueTsunami2018]

2. As if he has any right to lecture anyone.

Stole his way into office, started two wars we had absolutely no business being involved with, destroyed the economy for the working class, pressed the unitary executive case, Katrina, outed undercover agents, exploited 9/11 continuously to scare citizens into going along with their bullshit.

Just because he wasn’t as vulgar as Piss, that doesn’t make him any better.

This whole “rehab” his image is going through disgusts me.

[PatSeg]

6. Yeah, I haven't forgotten those 8 long Bush years

I believe he laid the groundwork for someone like Trump to become president. Though Bush wasn't nearly as bad as Trump, he was an incompetent, reckless president. I'm beginning to believe there is no such thing as an honest, decent republican. As such, Trump isn't really the problem, republicans are.

[peppertree]

22. Hear, hear. As I told by Repug friend in January 1999:

"Bush will be the nominee - and if he wins, there'll be nothing but wars and recessions."

I was also fairly certain that the first such war, would come about by way of some well-staged, false-flag incident - and that the media would breathlessly follow along like Labrador Retrievers.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

[FakeNoose]

3. From the OP link

George W. Bush's essay extraction:

As America’s first president, Washington knew “the first of everything in our situation will serve to establish a precedent.” So after two terms in office, with a distrust of long-seated rulers still fresh on America’s soul, Washington chose not to run again for president. And by once again relinquishing power rather than holding on to it, he ensured America wouldn’t become a monarchy, or worse.

Our first leader helped define not only the character of the presidency but the character of the country. Washington modeled what it means to put the good of the nation over self-interest and selfish ambition. He embodied integrity and modeled why it’s worth aspiring to. And he carried himself with dignity and self-restraint, honoring the office without allowing it to become invested with near-mythical powers.

It's hard to believe that Dubya actually wrote this .... But DAMN!

[BumRushDaShow]

8. "It's hard to believe that Dubya actually wrote this .... But DAMN!"

I doubt he wrote that.

There was a song in "Hamilton" about what he is referencing though -

[FakeNoose]

9. Maybe Laura his wife had something to do with writing this

She's a former school teacher after all. And it always seemed that she had educational rather than political interests in mind.

[BumRushDaShow]

10. I expect he still has staff who work for him for when he does appearances

and he could probably pick up the phone and call one of them (an old speechwriter perhaps) to help with a draft.

[Mosby]

13. Copilot probably wrote that.

Nt

[FakeNoose]

23. I doubt that ... it's too nuanced and incisive

Never give any AI ap more credit than it deserves. Americans having a standard high school education can compose better essays than any AI ap.

[FoxNewsSucks]

19. He probably didn't write it

but if you look up videos from the TX gubernatorial debates, he actually doesn't come across as an idiot. He was still wrong and an asshole, but back then he didn't sound stupid.

After 9/11 is when he turned dumb.

[riversedge]

4. sublty can be so loud at times--as in this case. But I think Trumps pea brain will not get it!!

[SSJVegeta]

5. Too little and 15 months too late, W

[Zackzzzz]

7. He wrote an essay?

[FalloutShelter]

11. More weak tea anyone?

FTA.

[CaptainTruth]

12. There's a straight line from Bush's "extraordinary rendition" of "enemy combatants"...

...to what the Trump Cabal is doing to people they've called "unlawful combatants" with his ICE gestapo.

Same MO, like Bush provided the playbook, & he argued (his attorneys, in court) that he had the right to do it to American citizens. Capture them & send them to foreign "black sites" with no due process, by simply calling them "enemy combatants."

Trump just changed a word & uses the term "unlawful combatants," & Bush/Cheney etc set the stage for it.

[Jilly_in_VA]

14. Shrub was never known for subtlety

I'm betting Laura wrote this!

[wiggs]

15. He and his family have an obligation to do much, much more. nt

[czarjak]

16. "I'm a member of a Secret Society, a society so secret, I can't even talk about it."

But, we’re The Deep-State?
They deceive. Rubes believe.
All about The R?

[twodogsbarking]

17. Thanks George. Gore would have been better, but history is history.

[FoxNewsSucks]

18. The war criminal finally said something???

Kinda late

[Bayard]

20. He was never this eloquent

Somebody else wrote this, but nice he signed off on it. He still had a disgraceful time in office.

[twodogsbarking]

21. I have mixed emotions about George and his dad. Not sure if they were the organ grinders or the monkeys.

Puppets on strings maybe.