President George W. Bush announced Tuesday he will attend the swearing-in ceremony for President-elect Trump later this month, despite his refusal to support the incoming Republican leader during the general election.
According to a statement, the former president and his wife, Laura, look forward to witnessing “the peaceful transfer of power” during the inaugural ceremonies on Jan. 20. Prior to Tuesday, Jimmy Carter, a Democrat who backed Hillary Clinton’s campaign, was the only former president who agreed to attend the upcoming inauguration. George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, the only other living ex-presidents, have yet to RSVP the historic event.
Bush and his wife declined to vote for Trump or Clinton in the 2016 election. A spokesman for the couple confirmed that they each voted “none of the above” for president and for Republicans on the rest of the Texas ballot.
The 43rd president appeared on the campaign trail last February after Trump unleashed a series of attacks against him for invading Iraq in 2003 and against his brother, Jeb, whom Trump famously branded as “low energy” during the Republican primary. Trump spoke briefly with Bush after his surprising election victory in November.
