Though the presidential election only comes once every four years, George W. and Laura Bush aren't voting for Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. In fact, they're not voting for a president at all. In a statement to the Texas Tribune, Bush spokesman Freddy Ford confirmed, “They didn’t vote for Hillary; they didn’t vote for Trump.”
However, the former first couple didn't completely forgo the right to exercise their voice. After all, that would be pretty disappointing coming from a former president and first lady. Instead, they voted down the ballot for Republican Congressional candidates, but left the section for president blank.
On Tuesday, ultra-conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh incorrectly claimed that George W. and Laura would cross party lines and vote for Clinton. His false statement prompted Ford to clear the air and explain what really happened. Shortly afterward, Limbaugh posted a correction:
"We've been told by President George W. Bush's office that President Bush did not vote for Hillary Clinton as was reported on today's show. He voted two weeks ago and did not vote for her."
Ultimately, the pair's decision to passively allow the American public to decide the presidential election for them shouldn't come as a surprise. It's been no secret since Jeb Bush began his campaign, the Bushes haven't been huge fans of Trump.
In fact, Politico reported that according to a member of the Kennedy family, 92-year-old George H.W. Bush was planning to take his disdain for Trump a step further and vote for Clinton. Bush Sr.'s spokesman, Jim McGrath neither confirmed nor denied the claim, saying:
"The vote President Bush will cast as a private citizen in some 50 days will be just that: a private vote cast in some 50 days. He is not commenting on the presidential race in the interim."
Unlike both George W. and father, Laura has been rather upfront on the reasons why she opposes Trump. In February during an interview with CBS, she referenced Trump's comments about Fox News host Megyn Kelly. In a CNN interview following the first GOP presidential debate, Trump said "there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever" and then proceeded to retweet a tweet calling her a "bimbo," telling CNN that he has no respect for her. Laura said:
“I mean, unbelievable. I don't know how women can vote for someone who said what he said about Megyn Kelly, it’s terrible. And we knew what he meant too.”
No doubt, Jeb Bush, who suffered a terrible dip in the polls during the primaries, would have been the Bush family's first choice. But sometimes, you can't always get what you want.
