Former president George W. Bush broke his political silence on Thursday, delivering a speech that seemed to be aimed, to some degree, at President Donald Trump.
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Bush, who was speaking in New York City at an event hosted by his The George W. Bush Institute, unleashed a slew of proclamations about the current state of affairs.
He didn’t name Trump outright, but he certainly sparked speculation about who he was targeting based on the subject matter of his address.
“Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication,” Bush said. “There are some signs that the intensity of support for democracy itself has waned … We’ve seen nationalism distorted into nativism.”
George W. Bush on the US: "Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seem more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication." pic.twitter.com/JLkZcmQWFL
— Axios (@axios) October 19, 2017
The former commander-in-chief also spoke out against white supremacy and bigotry, calling them “blasphemy” and pointedly addressed the horrific state of public discourse — one in which he said animosity is too easily fostered.
“Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone. [It] provides permission for cruelty and bigotry and compromises the moral education of children,” he said. “The only way to pass along civic values is to first live up to them.”
Former Pres. George W Bush: "Our young people need positive role models. Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone." pic.twitter.com/r1TcyHBOV1
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) October 19, 2017
You can watch the entire speech here: