Former President Donald Trump lifts the lid on his love-hate-hate-hate relationship with the Bush family in his new book of letters, which includes thank-you notes from a president, first lady, and future president, along with his biting commentary on where they went wrong.
In doing so, he charts the shift from a time when established Republicans thanked Trump for his donations, to before power in the party passed to outsiders and upstarts.
Letters to Trump is published by Winning mass posting Tuesday.
The $99 book includes letters from President Richard Nixon, actor Alec Baldwin, and Oprah Winfrey, among other politicians and stars of stage and screen.
There are multiple contributions from the Bush family during their heyday as the greatest force in Republican politics.
Former President Donald Trump’s new speechbook was published on Tuesday. It includes warm words from President George HW Bush, along with scathing comments from Trump
Bush Sr. wrote to Trump several times thanking him for his campaign contributions or for supporting his son Jeb’s run for president in Florida a year later.
You helped George HW Bush campaign and did a good job for him. It was never appreciated, unfortunately, and that’s okay,” Trump wrote in his comment on the 41st president of the nation.
I learned a lot when he made his famous “read my lips, no new taxes” statement…and then raised taxes almost immediately. This didn’t work out very well.
Bush had to negotiate with the Democratic-controlled Congress over the 1990 budget settlement, which meant tax increases. This cost his re-election campaign dearly.
Trump also returned to his favorite former offensive line in his new book, mocking Bush’s personal philosophy of volunteerism.
“It was almost as bad,” Trump says, “when he kept talking about ‘a thousand points of light,’ and no one really knew what the hell he was talking about.” What does all this mean?
His comments coincide with a letter from Bush thanking Trump for supporting his 1988 presidential campaign.
Bush wrote, “I know that with your help and dedication, I will be the next President of the United States.” “Barbara and I will always remember all you did for us.”
Days before her husband was sworn in as president, the future first lady sent Trump a handwritten letter after catching up with him on TV.
Texas Governor and presidential candidate George W. Jeb, former President George H.W., and Barbara Bush together in 1999 when Bush’s eldest son was running for president
Trump was a regular contributor to Bush’s campaign when he was running in 1988
And future first lady Barbara Bush sent a handwritten letter of support after a particularly controversial appearance on The Phil Donahue Show
President George W. Bush at his desk in the Oval Office of the White House in 2006 after addressing the nation on the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks that dominated his time in office
“As I was leaving the house this morning, I heard you were being attacked by Phil Donahue,” she wrote. ‘You were great.’
At the time, the Bush family was the foremost family of the Republican movement. The title was key to assuming a central role in conservative politics.
Trump maintained contacts with these important players, and George W. Bush in 1997 gave his thanks for being invited to the Miss Teen USA pageant, which was held in Texas.
“Unfortunately, Laura and I are booked that day and will not be able to attend,” he wrote.
Years later, Trump has been harsh in his criticism of his presidency.
Thanks but no thanks, said George Bush in 1997 when Trump invited then-Governor of Texas to attend the Miss Teen USA pageant in South Padre, Texas.
And the proud father thanks Trump for helping Jeb Bush with his fundraising efforts, some 20 years before he dashed the younger Bush’s hopes for the presidency.
Former Florida Governor Bush was a frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2016 before Trump came along and upended conservative politics.
“Dubia, as he called himself, got us into the quicksands of the Middle East,” Trump wrote.
Twenty-one years later, millions of people dead, trillions of dollars spent, and the Middle East completely wiped out, we’re out. It was a bad decision on his part and may have been one forced by Dick Cheney, the disastrous vice president.
Anyway, I wish them well. Much luck!’
There is also a thank you note from a proud father after Trump supported Jeb Bush when he was running for governor of Florida with a fundraising event at his New York home.
“We love Jeep so much,” Bush Sr. wrote. We feel he is suitably excited and that he would be a great governor of Florida.
“You helped him so generously by hosting this fundraiser means so much to both Barbara and me.”
Twenty years later, Trump single-handedly killed their son’s political career with a devastating series of insults in the 2016 Republican nomination race.
The Bush family didn’t take it too kindly when it ran against Jeep. But it was competition,” Trump wrote in his new book.
“Almost everyone was expecting Jeb to win the Republican primary, and after about two weeks it was over for him.”
