Former President George W. Bush did not attend a White House event hosted by First Lady Melania Trump to honor his late mother, Barbara Bush. The ceremony, held on Thursday, May 8, 2025, in the East Room, unveiled a U.S. Postal Service stamp dedicated to the former first lady who died in 2018 at 92 years old.
Although Bush was absent, his sister Dorothy Bush Koch was among the featured speakers at the event. His brother, Neil Bush, and Alice Yates, Chief Executive of the George and Barbara Bush Foundation, were also present at the ceremony.
Bush’s absence highlights the intricate relationship between the Bush family and President Donald Trump. Despite attending both of Trump’s inaugurations in 2017 and 2025, Bush did not endorse Trump in any of his presidential campaigns and remained politically distant during Trump’s tenure. At the 2025 inauguration, he and former First Lady Laura Bush left before the luncheon.
During Trump’s first term, Bush expressed his views on the political climate without directly naming Trump. At a 2021 event marking the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Bush stated that “so much of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger, fear, and resentment.”
Trump appeared to take these comments personally, remarking that Bush “led a failed and uninspiring presidency” and “shouldn’t be lecturing anybody!” This exchange underscores the ongoing tension between these two Republican leaders, who maintain a civil but distant relationship.
This recent instance of Bush distancing himself from the White House is part of a long history of complex interactions between the Bush and Trump families. During the 2016 Republican primary, Trump had a contentious rivalry with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, George W. Bush’s brother, labeling him “low energy Jeb.”
The rivalry extends back to Barbara Bush herself. Susan Page’s 2019 biography “The Matriarch: Barbara Bush and the Making of a Dynasty” revealed that in a 1990s diary entry, Barbara Bush referred to Trump as “a symbol of greed.” The book also disclosed that in the months before her death, she no longer identified as a Republican despite her long association with the party.
When asked about Barbara Bush’s criticism in 2019, President Trump acknowledged her feelings. “I have heard that she was nasty to me, but she should be. Look what I did to her sons,” Trump told the Washington Times, referencing his political disputes with both Jeb and George W. Bush.
The Barbara Bush commemorative stamp joins a collection that includes other former first ladies. Nancy Reagan’s stamp was the most recent addition, unveiled in 2022.
Bush has recently kept a low public profile, but his absence from this ceremony was notable as it was meant to honor his mother. Though he has avoided openly criticizing Trump, his decision to skip the event celebrating his mother’s legacy reflects ongoing tensions between two prominent American political families.
The Thursday event was one of Melania Trump’s more significant appearances as First Lady during her husband’s second term. In 2018, she attended Barbara Bush’s funeral in Houston, Texas, representing the Trump administration alongside other presidential family representatives.
The Bush family has historically kept cordial relations with other presidential families across party lines. George W. Bush has been seen sharing friendly interactions with former Presidents Bill Clinton and Barack Obama at various events, most recently at former President Jimmy Carter’s funeral earlier this year.
Despite Trump’s critical remarks about the Bush administration’s policies, particularly concerning decisions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the two families have maintained a veneer of civility at official events.
