Bush’s silence on Trump draws criticism for protecting a troubled legacy

In a New Yorker essay, Jacob Weisberg critiques former President George W. Bush for not openly challenging Donald Trump, labeling the silence as a convenient avoidance rather than a dignified tradition. Weisberg points out that Bush’s values—support for immigration, free trade, diplomacy and global health—contrast sharply with Trump’s “America First” agenda and recent executive orders that ended PEPFAR and withdrew the United States from the World Health Organization.

According to health expert Brooke Nichols, those cuts may have caused over one hundred seventy-five thousand deaths in a single year. Bush’s public comments have been limited to general condemnations of “bullying and prejudice” and the “sickening and heartbreaking” Capitol riot, never directly naming Trump. The columnist suggests Bush may be shielding his family, fearing Trump’s retaliation, or trying to preserve his own legacy, which remains marred by the Iraq war and other crises. Weisberg urges Bush to speak out to help steer the Republican Party away from Trump’s influence, warning that continued silence could further tarnish his reputation.