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See George H.W. Bush's Apology To Donald Trump For Missing The Inauguration

Former President George H.W. Bush (left) talks with former Secretary of State and close friend James Baker III at NRG Stadium in Houston in 2014.
Bob Levey
/
Getty Images
Former President George H.W. Bush (left) talks with former Secretary of State and close friend James Baker III at NRG Stadium in Houston in 2014.

Former President George H.W. Bush wanted to be clear that there was no ill will keeping him from attending Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday.

The 92-year-old had decided to stay home weeks ago because of his advanced age and poor health. Bush is the only former president who will miss the ceremony. His son George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter are all expected to attend along with their wives.

The elder Bush was admitted to the hospital over the weekend and sent to the intensive care unit at Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas on Wednesday as he battles pneumonia. His wife, Barbara, was also admitted to the hospital "as a precaution" because of fatigue and coughing, her husband's office said.

A week earlier, Bush had written to Trump to express his regret and good wishes. Here's the letter he sent on Jan. 10:

/ Office of George H.W. Bush
/
Office of George H.W. Bush

Neither George H.W. Bush nor George W. Bush voted for Trump in November. The president-elect defeated former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush in the GOP primary race — and lobbed consistent insults at him (namely "low-energy Jeb"). Despite any hard feelings from the 2016 primary, the former presidents are showing support as the new president takes office.

Trump later tweeted his thanks and good wishes back at the former president.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Arnie Seipel is the Deputy Washington Editor for NPR. He oversees daily news coverage of politics and the inner workings of the federal government. Prior to this role, he edited politics coverage for seven years, leading NPR's reporting on the 2016, 2018 and 2020 elections. In between campaigns, Seipel edited coverage of Congress and the White House, and he coordinated coverage of major events including State of the Union addresses, Supreme Court confirmations and congressional hearings.
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