Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush released a joint statement denouncing “racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms” on Wednesday after President Donald Trump equated protesters under those banners to counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia.
However, though the statement clearly appeared to be a response to Trump’s equivocations on white supremacy, the Bushes didn’t name Trump explicitly.
“America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms,” the former Presidents wrote, according to a copy of their statement posted by CNN’s Jake Tapper. “As we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truths recorded by that city’s most prominent citizen in the Declaration of Independence: we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights.”
“We know these truths to be everlasting because we have seen the decency and greatness of our country,” they concluded.
