Former President George W. Bush has no plans to endorse a presidential candidate, his office told NBC News on Saturday.
When asked whether former President Bush or his wife, Laura, would endorse candidates or make public how they would vote, Bush’s office said “no.”
“President Bush retired from office many years ago,” the office added.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign declined to comment but referred the campaign’s outreach to Republicans.
Former Bush Vice President Dick Cheney announced Friday that he would endorse Harris in the November election.
“In the 248-year history of our country, there has never been an individual more threatening to our nation than Donald Trump,” Cheney said in a statement. “He tried to steal the last election, using lies and violence to maintain his hold on power after it was rejected by voters. We cannot entrust him with power again.”
A few days ago, Liz Cheney, the daughter of the former vice president and former congresswoman from Wyoming, said she would vote for Harris. Both Cheneys are Republicans and outspoken critics of former President Donald Trump, with Cheney in particular being an outspoken critic.
Answering questions from reporters on Saturday, Harris said she was “honored” to receive the Cheneys’ endorsement, adding that it was “a real reminder to them that we love our country and that we have more in common than we have differences.”
The fact that President Bush has not endorsed a candidate from his own party is notable in itself: In 2012, he said he would support Republican candidate Mitt Romney against former President Barack Obama. Four years earlier, in 2008, he endorsed the late Senator John McCain for president.
Both Bush campaigns said in 2016 that father and son would not comment on Trump. Instead, Bush worked to support Republican senators. Neither Bush nor his wife voted for a major party presidential candidate in 2016, a spokesman said that year.
President Bush father passed away in 2018, but his younger brother announced in 2021 that he would endorse former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in the 2020 presidential election.
Several prominent moderate Republicans and former Trump administration officials have broken with the former president and supported Harris despite policy differences.
Harris’ campaign announced endorsements last month from more than 20 Republicans, including former Republican Gov. Bill Weld of Massachusetts, former Rep. Denver Riggleman of Virginia and former Trump administration press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
In late August, more than 200 former staffers from former presidents Bush, McCain and Romney signed a letter endorsing Harris as a presidential candidate.
As part of its outreach to Republican voters, the Harris campaign has hired a national Republican engagement director who will focus on programs with independents and moderate Republicans, as well as Republicans who support Harris.