George W. Bush's daughter Barbara campaigns for Harris
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Barbara Bush on NBC's the "Today" show in 2023. Photo: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images
Barbara Bush, former President George W. Bush's daughter, hit the campaign trail in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania for Vice President Kamala Harris, per People magazine.
Why it matters: Bush hails from Republican royalty — but her parents have no plans to weigh in on the 2024 race with just days to go until Nov. 5.
- Last month, a spokesperson for the former president said neither he nor former first lady Laura Bush would endorse a candidate or publicly reveal how they would vote.
- The former first daughter told People in 2010 she doesn't identify with either major party.
- In 2017, she praised Planned Parenthood's work, noting the importance of advocating for the agency after former President Trump took over the White House.
Driving the news: Bush told People it was "inspiring to join friends" in campaigning for Harris and her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, adding, "I'm hopeful they'll move our country forward and protect women's rights."
- She joins Susan Ford Bales, late former President Gerald Ford's daughter, in backing the Democratic ticket.
- "Vice President Harris and I likely disagree on some policy matters, but her integrity and commitment to those same principles that guided Dad have led me to conclude that Kamala Harris should be elected 47th President of the United States," Bales wrote in her endorsement last week.
Zoom out: While former President Bush has not made an endorsement in this election cycle, more than 200 staffers who worked for him; his father, George H.W. Bush; Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) endorsed Harris' bid in August, warning a second Trump presidency would "irreparably damage our beloved democracy."
- Bush's vice president, Dick Cheney, and former GOP Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.), have been among the vice president's most prominent backers. The younger Cheney, an outspoken Trump critic, has hit the campaign trail with Harris.
- The Democratic campaign has sought to capitalize on their Republican support, touting a broadly bipartisan coalition and urging conservatives disillusioned with Trump to cross the aisle in November.
The big picture: While all living Democratic presidents are supporting Harris, Barbara Bush's father, the only living Republican president other than the current GOP nominee, has not voted for Trump in the past.
- In 2016, the former president and his wife reportedly voted for "None of the Above for President," and in 2021, he revealed he voted for Condoleezza Rice, his former secretary of state, the year prior.
- His mother, former first lady Barbara Bush, reportedly blamed Trump for her heart attack. Her husband and former president, the late George H.W. Bush, confirmed he voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016.
Go deeper: George W. Bush: "I was sick to my stomach" seeing the Capitol insurrection
