Barbara Pierce Bush, the daughter of ex-President George W. Bush, has publicly supported Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential race, a significant shift away from her family’s deep-rooted Republican loyalties.
Barbara Bush has been actively campaigning for Harris, particularly in the politically mixed regions north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, stating her belief that Harris will “advance our country and safeguard women’s rights.”
Ex-Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) applauded Bush’s endorsement, citing it as a stand for “truth, decency, and freedom.”
Bush’s endorsement joins a growing list of Republican-associated figures rallying behind Harris, including former Vice President Dick Cheney, who labeled Trump as “a greater threat to our republic than any individual in our nation’s history” and his daughter Liz.
Support for Harris stretches beyond the Bush and Cheney families. Public figures like Susan Ford Bales, daughter of former President Gerald Ford, Jimmy McCain, son of late Senator John McCain, ex-Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, ex-Kansas Senator Nancy Kassebaum, and former Trump administration officials like Anthony Scaramucci, Stephanie Grisham, and Olivia Troye have expressed their support for Harris.
Over 200 former Republican employees who served under ex-Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, Senator Mitt Romney, and the late Senator John McCain have signed a letter backing Harris. Also, 17 staff members from President Ronald Reagan’s administration have endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket.
George Bush, Barbara’s father, has not publicly endorsed a candidate in the election. The Bush family’s relationship with the Republican party has been complex, with Barbara’s grandmother, ex-First Lady Barbara Bush, previously questioning how women could vote for Trump, and her uncle Jeb Bush labeling him a “jerk” during the 2016 primary campaign.
Barbara, who identifies as an independent, has often diverged from Republican party views. In 2017, she was the keynote speaker at a Planned Parenthood fundraiser in Texas. Her mother, ex-First Lady Laura Bush, has also strayed from the party’s position on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion rights, publicly breaking with the party’s stance in 2010.
Barbara Bush is an author and nonprofit leader who co-founded Global Health Corps, an organization addressing global health challenges. Jenna Bush Hager, her twin sister and a host on NBC’s “Today Show,” has expressed support for Barbara’s political stance.
