Former President George W. Bush said the current Republican Party isn’t his “vision,” adding that it’s “isolationist, protectionist, and, to a certain extent, nativist.”
“I would describe it as isolationist, protectionist, and, to a certain extent, nativist,” Bush told NBC host Hoda Kotb during a Tuesday interview.
“Well, that’s not exactly my vision, but you know what, I’m just an old guy they put out to pasture,” he added when asked if he’s “disappointed” by the party. “So, just a simple painter.”
How would you describe the Republican Party today? –@hodakotb
I would describe it as isolationist, protectionist, and to a certain extent, nativist. -Former President George W. Bush pic.twitter.com/tyFl2LnRMP
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) April 20, 2021
The former president’s critical comments, seemingly aimed at former President Donald Trump, come as the Democrats and the Biden administration face a crisis at the border and consider packing the Supreme Court, along with ending the filibuster.
Bush’s office did not immediately respond to the Washington Examiner’s request for comment on the current state of the Democratic Party.
The 43rd president is promoting his new book, Out of Many, One: Portraits of American Immigrants, which features Bush’s oil paintings of migrants.
He also added that a more centrist Republican could snag the party’s 2024 presidential nomination.
“I think if the emphasis is integrity and decency and trying to work to get problems solved, I think the person has a shot,” he said.
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Bush also reiterated that the Jan. 6 siege of the Capitol “did make me sick. I felt ill. And I just couldn’t believe it.”
“What’s really troubling is how much misinformation there is and the capacity of people to spread all kinds of untruth,” he added. “And I don’t know what we’re going to do about that.”
