George W. Bush said on Sunday that he spoke to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris and congratulated them on their victory in the presidential election.
“Though we have political differences, I know Joe Biden to be a good man, who has won his opportunity to lead and unify our country,” Bush said in a statement. “The President-elect reiterated that while he ran as a Democrat, he will govern for all Americans. I offered him the same thing I offered Presidents Trump and Obama: my prayers for his success, and my pledge to help in any way I can.”
President Donald Trump has not conceded the race and instead is pursuing legal challenges, even though he has provided no evidence that there was systemic fraud in the vote. Bush’s statement is significant in that he is the only living former Republican president, and there have been concerns that the party will try to somehow make Biden’s win illegitimate even though they have not made their case.
Bush did not say who he voted for in the race.
“The American people can have confidence that this election was fundamentally fair, its integrity will be upheld, and its outcome is clear,” he said in the statement.
He did offer some congratulations to Trump.
“I want to congratulate President Trump and his supporters on a hard-fought campaign,” he said. “He earned the votes of more than 70 million Americans — an extraordinary political achievement. They have spoken, and their voices will continue to be heard through elected Republicans at every level of government.”
Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama offered their congratulations to Biden on Saturday.
Statement by President George W. Bush: https://t.co/Bsbv8k1nho pic.twitter.com/O7CLtEvxk0
— George W. Bush Presidential Center (@TheBushCenter) November 8, 2020