George W. Bush Expected to Skip Melania Trump Event Honoring Barbara Bush

Former President George W. Bush declined to attend a White House ceremony hosted by Melania Trump to unveil a postage stamp honoring his late mother, Barbara Bush, despite other Bush family members and foundation representatives being present. This absence highlights the longstanding tensions between the Bush and Trump families, with Bush never endorsing Donald Trump in any of his presidential campaigns. Both families have exchanged pointed criticisms over the years, including Trump’s attacks on Jeb Bush during the 2016 Republican primaries and Bush’s public lament over the divisive tone in modern politics, which Trump interpreted as a veiled criticism. Barbara Bush herself expressed strong disapproval of Trump, describing him as a “symbol of greed” and distancing herself from the Republican Party before her death. Melania Trump, meanwhile, has had an inconsistent presence in her husband's political life, further underscoring the complicated relationships within and between the two political dynasties.