"Whether he or his staff, I know, and my grandmother, they all wanted all current occupants to be part of this process and take the opportunity to put aside politics and focus on the greatness of our country and our dedication to causes greater than ourselves, "said John Berman's" New Day "and CNN's Alisyn Camerota, Commissioner for Land Affairs in Texas."
"There is a time for politics and a time to govern, but there is also "it's a time for reflection, and at a propitious moment for our country to reflect on the values that make our country exceptional," added Bush .
President Donald Trump's president and George P. Bush's father, Jeb, engaged in a vitriolic rivalry over the 2016 campaign, and Trump mocked and criticized the company for the first time. inheritance of the two Presidents Bush. The Washington Post announced that the Bush family intentionally planned official funeral events that would avoid criticizing Trump, despite the long animosity between the two families, which would be contrary to Senator John McCain's September memorial. was marked by implicit references to Trump and his behavior as president.
Bush said that the time spent by Trump and Congress on his grandfather's legacy reflected the late president's commitment to bipartisanship.
"It is important for the country to take this time and think about what we have in common rather than differences," Bush said.
The Post, quoting a former government official, said the Bush family had contacted the White House last summer to point out that the president would be welcome to burial and, according to the newspaper, for "ensure that the focus will be on Bush's life rather than on their differences".
Bush, who died Friday at the age of 94, will be commemorated Wednesday at the Cathedral Washington. According to the Post, someone close to funeral planning said the Bush family's decision to be friendly with the current president was "at least partly pragmatic," because Trump has the final say on important aspects of funerals , including the use of Air Force One. carry Bush's body between Texas and Washington.
Another person told The Post that Bush "would not want someone to feel uncomfortable, including the outgoing president." "
Former President George W. Bush will deliver a funeral eulogy for his late father at the funeral, as will former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, former US Senator Alan Simpson, and the Presidential historian and Bush biographer Jon Meacham, none of them having to criticize Trump in his statements.
Stephen Collinson of CNN contributed to the report.
