Trump takes high road on Bush’s death, despite feud with family

WASHINGTON — After frequently criticizing members of the “Bush dynasty” and being lambasted in return by various members of that august political clan, President Donald Trump responded to the death of former President George H.W. Bush with grace and good manners.

From Argentina, where he was attending a Group of 20 summit, Trump and the first lady issued a statement shortly after learning of the 41st president’s death on Friday that praised the former commander in chief for his “essential authenticity,” “disarming wit” and “common sense and unflappable leadership.”

Trump also called off a press conference scheduled for Saturday to cap the G20, took a brief hiatus from Twitter and spoke by phone with Bush sons George W., the former president, and Jeb, the former Florida governor and 2016 presidential contender.

Trump’s public praise for the elder Bush presented a sharp contrast to the taunts he directed at the Bushes during the 2016 campaign.

It was even more directly at odds with his reaction to the death in August of Sen. John McCain of Arizona, another GOP icon and institution whom Trump repeatedly belittled during the campaign and while in office. In that case, Trump was heavily criticized for remarks surrounding McCain’s death and for his handling of White House flags that had been flying at half staff to honor the late senator. After raising the flags only two days after McCain died, the flags were lowered again amid public outcry.

‘Doing the right thing’

Many observers applauded the restraint on the part of the president, even as some wondered how long it would last.

“He’s doing the right thing,” political communications consultant Ruth Sherman said of Trump’s actions after the news. “He needs to do more of that.”

There was plenty of bad blood between Trump and the Bushes that could have fueled a reaction similar to the one seen when McCain succumbed to brain cancer.

Early in the campaign, the eventual GOP nominee dubbed the younger Bush son, one of many Republican rivals, “low energy Jeb.” Trump also slammed former President George W. Bush for leading American troops into the Iraq war.

In July, Trump even mocked George H.W. Bush at a political rally in Montana. “Thousand points of light,” Trump said in reference to his predecessor’s signature phrase that referenced American optimism and community spirit. “What did it mean?” Trump asked supporters, adding that he much preferred his slogan, “Make America Great Again.”

But Trump’s tone after Bush’s death at age 94 was strictly reverential. The White House issued a proclamation that made Dec. 5 a National Day of Mourning and ordered government flags be displayed at half-staff for 30 days. On the flight from Argentina to Washington, Trump told reporters he would send the plane known as Air Force One to transport the former president’s casket to Washington Monday, where he would lie in state in the Capitol rotunda until Wednesday morning.

The Bush family also traveled on the president’s plane, which was renamed “Special Air Mission 41” for the journey. Trump tweeted that he planned to pay his respects to the family, which is staying at the presidential guest house, Blair House.

Trump and the first lady plan to attend the funeral, which will commence at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the National Cathedral, through Trump is not scheduled to speak at the service

Instead George W. Bush, former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, former Sen. Alan Simpson, R-Wyo., and presidential historian Jon Meacham will deliver eulogies.

The decision to include Trump in the service was “classic” Bush, said Bill Harlow, a former CIA spokesman who worked as a Bush press aide. “He was a classy guy” who did things by the book, Harlow added.

Trump skipped the funeral of former first lady Barbara Bush in April, though Melania Trump did attend. That surprised few observers, as presidents often skip the funerals of former first ladies and Barbara Bush had made known her distaste for the way Trump has talked about women.

Pence pinch hits

The president also a no-show at McCain’s Sept. 2 service after McCain’s family made it clear Trump was not welcome at the one-time Vietnam POW’s funeral. Vice President Mike Pence instead represented the White House at a ceremony that exuded anti-Trump sentiments.

Pence also was there on Monday to greet Bush’s casket as it arrived at the Capitol Rotunda. He lauded the first vice president to win a presidential election in more than 150 years for his personal qualities and accomplishments.

“As vice president, George H. W. Bush set the standard for a sound counselor and loyal adviser to an outsider (Ronald Reagan) who came to Washington, D.C. to shake things up, cut taxes, and rebuild the military. And together, they did just that,” Pence said.

Later Monday, Trump and the first lady entered the rotunda to pay their respects. They stood silently for about a minute. Then Trump saluted and the couple left.

Sig Rogich, a onetime adviser to the first President Bush, said Trump took the high road after missing previous opportunities to put any ill will remaining from the campaign to rest,

“I think he’s responded well” to Bush’s death, Rogich told the Review-Journal. “I think he’s handled it with a lot of dignity and a lot of class. And it was instantaneous. No one had to prompt him.”

But Sherman, the communications consultant, wonders if Trump will be able to sustain his solicitous tone.

“I could see Trump being very sensitive” to the “implied comparison” to Bush – a war hero who has been hailed as a moderating force who could reach across the aisle – not words used to describe the 45th president.

And Trump’s habit of airing his frustrations on Twitter also could yet poison the well, said Harlow, the former Bush aide.

“I hope the president comes and goes and doesn’t say or do or tweet anything that diminishes anything from the dignity of the occasion,” he said.

For his part, Rogich sees a ceremony with Trump, Bush and three other former presidents – Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter – sending a unifying message to the Bushes and the country as a whole.

“That overwhelming moment overcomes any kind of rancor,” he said.

Contact Debra J. Saunders at dsaunders@reviewjournal.com or 202-662-7391. Follow @DebraJSaunders on Twitter.