Melania Trump honors Barbara Bush's ‘forward-thinking vision' at White House event
Bush, the matriarch of a Republican political dynasty and a first lady who elevated the cause of literacy, died in 2018. Her recognition in the East Room – and some notable absences – underscored Trump's different approach to the role, as well as long-simmering tensions between the Bush family and President Donald Trump, who frequently targeted two of her sons, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and former President George W. Bush, during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Those tensions went unspoken on Thursday. But neither Jeb Bush nor George W. Bush attended the event honoring their mother. Their sister, Doro Bush Koch, and brother, Neil Bush, were there, along with other family members, friends and former staff members.
Melania Trump celebrated Barbara Bush for her 'unwavering conviction, dignity, and deep loyalty to her loved ones' and quoted from what she described as Bush's 'iconic commencement address' at the women's college Wellesley.
'Who knows – somewhere out in this audience may even be someone who will one day follow in my footsteps and preside over the White House, and I wish him well,' Trump said, reading a memorable line from the 1990 remarks.
'Over 35 years have passed since Barbara Bush made the call for a female American president, a reflection of her forward-thinking vision,' said Trump, whose husband defeated the only two female major-party presidential nominees in American history. She called Bush's speech 'an important moment in the conversation surrounding women's roles in society.'
Trump also highlighted Bush's efforts to champion women's empowerment, change the national conversation on AIDS and support gay rights.
'I applaud Mrs. Bush's mark defending our society's vital need for women across all avenues, whether CEO or homemaker,' she said.
The stamp unveiling marked Trump's second public appearance of the day, but a rare one for a first lady who has largely been absent from the White House during her husband's second term in office.
She has spent the majority of her time since January 20 away from Washington, mostly in Palm Beach and New York, and has made only a handful of public appearances, joining her husband for a trip to North Carolina and California, welcoming the nation's governors for dinner, attending the president's address to a joint session of Congress, hosting the Easter Egg Roll, advocating for the 'Take It Down' Act on Capitol Hill, and traveling to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis.
Her approach to the role emphasizes the first lady's independent streak – and stands in contrast to how Bush tackled the assignment, rooting herself firmly at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
'She transformed the White House into a true home. She hosted hundreds of guests,' daughter Doro Bush Koch said of her late mother. 'Mom told her staff she wanted to do something every day to help others. So that's what she did – she scheduled many events and visits that highlighted a need to help encourage volunteerism or focus on literacy.'
Barbara Bush hadn't kept a secret her disdain for Donald Trump, who during the 2016 campaign frequently – and personally – criticized her son Jeb Bush as 'low energy' and attacked his brother George W. Bush for invading Iraq. In 2021, Trump lambasted George W. Bush's 'failed and uninspiring presidency.'
In a 2018 interview, Barbara Bush – a mother to one GOP president and wife of another – told the author and journalist Susan Page that she no longer considered herself a Republican.
Page also reported in her book, 'The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of an American Dynasty,' that Bush was so horrified by Trump's 2016 win that she kept a countdown clock, given to her by a friend, on her bedside table that showed the time remaining in Trump's term.
Trump did not attend Bush's funeral service, with the White House citing his wish 'to avoid disruptions due to added security, and out of respect for the Bush Family and friends attending the service.' Melania Trump attended in his stead.
George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush attended Donald Trump's 2025 inauguration, but did not attend the post-ceremony luncheon.
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