User:Informant16/Post-presidency of George H. W. Bush

George H. W. Bush served as the 41st President of the United States from 1989 to 1993. After his defeat in the 1992 United States presidential election, Bush remained active in public life.

On November 25, 2017, Bush became the longest-lived U.S. president, when he surpassed the 93 years and 165 days lifespan of Gerald Ford, who died in 2006. Currently 99 years, 330 days old, he is both the nation's oldest living president and oldest living vice president. (The longest-lived U.S. vice president is John Nance Garner, who died on November 7, 1967, 15 days short of his 99th birthday.)

General activities

Upon leaving office, Bush retired with his wife, Barbara, and temporarily moved into a friend's house near the Tanglewood community of Houston as they prepared to build a permanent retirement house nearby. Ultimately they built their retirement house in the community of West Oaks, near Tanglewood. They had a presidential office within the Park Laureate Building on Memorial Drive. Mimi Swartz of National Geographic wrote that "The Bushes are too studiously sedate to live in River Oaks". They spend the summer at Walker's Point in Kennebunkport, Maine.

In 1993, Bush was awarded an honorary knighthood (GCB) by Queen Elizabeth II. He was the third American president to receive the honor, the others being Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ronald Reagan.

In 1993, Bush visited Kuwait to commemorate the coalition's victory over Iraq in the Gulf War, where he was targeted in an assassination plot. Kuwaiti authorities arrested 17 people allegedly involved in using a car bomb to kill Bush. Through interviews with the suspects and examinations of the bomb's circuitry and wiring, the FBI established that the plot had been directed by the Iraqi Intelligence Service. A Kuwaiti court later convicted all but one of the defendants. Two months later, in retaliation, Clinton ordered the firing of 23 cruise missiles at Iraqi Intelligence Service headquarters in Baghdad. The day before the strike, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Madeleine Albright went before the Security Council to present evidence of the Iraqi plot. After the missiles were fired, Vice President Al Gore said the attack "was intended to be a proportionate response at the place where this plot" to assassinate Bush "was hatched and implemented".

In September 1993, Bush was invited back to the White House along with other living former presidents for an Arab-Israeli peace accord as well as make the case to Clinton for a repeal of NAFTA.

In April 1994, Bush attended the funeral of Richard Nixon.

In the 1994 elections, his sons George W. and Jeb concurrently ran for Governor of Texas and Governor of Florida. The elder Bush frequently telephoned their headquarters for updates on the race. George W. won his race against Ann Richards while Jeb lost to Lawton Chiles. After the results came in, the elder Bush told ABC, "I have very mixed emotions. Proud father, is the way I would sum it all up." Jeb later would run again for governor of Florida in 1998 and win (his brother George W. concurrently winning reelection in Texas), just two years prior to his brother George W.'s election as President.

From 1993 to 1999 he served as the chairman to the board of trustees for Eisenhower Fellowships, and from 2007 to 2009 was chairman of the National Constitution Center.

On September 28, 1994, Bush said he was opposed to sending American troops to Haiti, citing his loss of confidence in President of Haiti Jean-Bertrand Aristide while speaking to business and civic leaders in Houston.

In an October 22, 1994 speech in Cancun, Mexico, Bush said history would vindicate him for not attempting to force Saddam Hussein out of power while in office: "The Mideast peace talks that offer hope to the world would never have started if we had done that. The Arabs would never have talked to us."

On July 17, 1995, Bush returned to the White House for the unveiling of his official portrait in an East Room ceremony attended by former members of his administration.

In September 1995, Bush met with President of Vietnam Lê Đức Anh and party secretary Đỗ Mười in Vietnam. On September 2, Bush and his son George W. participated in a parade commemorating World War II in Fredericksburg, Texas, where the elder Bush reasoned the US had become united in the aftermath of the Pearl Harbor attack and stressed America would have to stay involved in world affairs to continue its unity.

On July 26, 1996, Bush met with Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole and pledged he would do everything in his power to aid in securing a victory for Dole in the upcoming presidential election. The two met again in October while Dole was preparing for upcoming debates with President Clinton. Bush's experience with debating Clinton prompting Dole to seek out his advice.

In 1997, the Houston Intercontinental Airport was renamed George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

In February 1997, Bush endorsed the chemical weapon banning treaty supported by United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, saying the US would need to approve the treaty ahead of the April deadline.

In April 1997, Bush gave a speech at a convocation of a weekend conference analyzing his presidency and joined President Bill Clinton, former President Ford, and Nancy Reagan in signing the "Summit Declaration of Commitment" in advocating for participation by private citizens in solving domestic issues within the United States.

In August 1997, Bush agreed to be interviewed by the New York Times, so long as his portrayal would not appear to be giving credit to himself, over the balanced budget deal composed by President Clinton and House Speaker Newt Gingrich, stating his belief that history would show his administration laid the groundwork for the agreement during a telephone interview.

President Bush is Honorary Chairman of Points of Light, an international nonprofit dedicated to engaging more people and resources in solving serious social problems through voluntary service.

In January 1999, Bush spoke in the Old Senate chamber as part of a lecture series for Senators in an address warning against the collapse of political decorum and invasions into the privacy of individuals.

In February 1999, Bush was part of the American delegation to the funeral of Hussein of Jordan in Amman.

In April 1999, Bush called for the release of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet when Spain had him arrested and sought to try him for human rights violations.

In May 1999, Bush and his wife Barbara honored six senior citizens during the annual Ageless Heroes honors in Chicago, Illinois.

George W. Bush presidency

George and Barbara Bush, September 14, 2001, three days after the Terrorist Attacks

His eldest son, George W. Bush, was inaugurated as the 43rd president of the United States on January 20, 2001, and re-elected in 2004. Through previous administrations, the elder Bush had ubiquitously been known as "George Bush" or "President Bush", but following his son's election the need to distinguish between them has made retronymic forms such as "George H. W. Bush" and "George Bush senior" and colloquialisms such as "Bush 41" and "Bush the Elder" much more common. H.W. Bush was traveling to Minnesota for a speaking engagement on the day of the September 11 attacks. George W. made multiple calls to get in contact with his father before the two men reconnected after the elder Bush had gone to a Brookfield, Wisconsin motel. Bush told biographer Jon Meacham that his son's vice president, Dick Cheney, underwent a change following the September 11 attacks: "His seeming knuckling under to the real hard-charging guys who want to fight about everything, use force to get our way in the Middle East.”

In December 2002, George W. sought counsel from the elder Bush regarding Iraq and informed him of "my efforts to rally the Saudis, Jordanians, Turks, and others in the Middle East".

In April 2003, following the fall of Baghdad, Bush praised George W. in an email to the incumbent president. In a September 14, 2003 interview with BBC, Bush stated his support for a continuation of his son's war against terrorism and the US was in a better state in terms of protecting itself from terrorism than two years prior. While visiting Houston VA Medical Center on December 17, Bush told reporters of his satisfaction with the capture of Saddam Hussein.

Later activities

President and Mrs. Bush attended the state funeral of Ronald Reagan in June 2004, and of Gerald Ford in January 2007. One month later, he was awarded the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award in Beverly Hills, California, by former First Lady Nancy Reagan. Despite Bush's political differences with Bill Clinton, reports have acknowledged that the two former presidents have become friends. He and Clinton appeared together in television ads in 2005, encouraging aid for victims of Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

In October 2004, Bush endorsed Pete Sessions and Ted Poe in Texas congressional races.

In February 2006, Bush attended and delivered a eulogy at the funeral of Coretta Scott King.

On March 2, 2006, President Bush announced that his father would lead the American delegation to the inauguration of President-elect of the Republic of Portugal Anibal Cavaco Silva.

In September 2006, Bush campaigned for New Jersey Senate candidate Thomas Kean Jr., praising him as well as stating his respect for Kean calling on the resignation of US Defense Secretary Rumsfeld. Kean went on to lose the election. The following month, he was honored by the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) with the NIAF One America Award for fundraising, with Bill Clinton, for the victims of the 2004 tsunami and Hurricane Katrina.

On February 18, 2008, Bush formally endorsed Senator John McCain for President of the United States. The endorsement offered a boost to McCain's campaign, as the Arizona Senator had been facing criticism among many conservatives. During a trip to Tokyo, Japan, Bush said that he would campaign vigorously against Senator Hillary Clinton were she to initiate a presidential bid.

In March 2008, Bush met with President of the People's Republic of China Hu Jintao who praised Bush for his attempts at harmonizing relations between the US and China.

On November 16, 2008, during an address at the University of Kansas, Bush said President-elect Obama would encounter diverse issues upon taking office and experiencing a wave of enthusiasm.

On January 10, 2009, both George H. W. and George W. Bush were present at the commissioning of USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), the tenth and last Nimitz-class supercarrier of the United States Navy. Bush paid a visit to the carrier again on May 26, 2009. In June, Bush came out in support for Sonia Sotomayor to receive fair hearings in her nomination for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. "She was called by somebody a racist once. That's not right. I mean, that's not fair. It doesn't help the process. You're out there name-calling. So let them decide who they want to vote for and get on with it." In October, Bush criticized the rampant criticism of the current times, reflecting that he did not receive such "day in and day out" during his presidency and named Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow of MSNBC as examples; he called the two "sick puppies." Also during that month, on October 16, Bush joined President Barack Obama onstage at Texas A&M University for a promotion of volunteering.

In 2011, he was inducted in the World Golf Hall of Fame.

On February 15, 2011, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest civilian honor in the United States—by President Barack Obama.

On March 29, 2012, Bush endorsed Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination in the 2012 Presidential election, NBC News reporting that Bush had chosen to support Romney three months prior.

In July 2013, Bush had his head shaved in a show of support for the two-year-old son of a member of his security detail, who had leukemia. On July 7, Bush met with Gabrielle Giffords for part of her week-long Rights and Responsibilities Tour advocating expanded background checks in relation to firearm purchases.

In April 2014, Frederick D. McClure, chief executive of the Bush library foundation, organized a three-day gathering in College Park, Texas, to mark the 25th anniversary of the Bush administration. Also in early 2014, the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation presented the Profile in Courage Award to Bush and Mount Vernon awarded him its first Cyrus A. Ansary Prize. The Kennedy foundation award was presented by Jack Schlossberg, the late president's grandson, to Lauren Bush Lauren, who accepted on her grandfather's behalf. The Ansary prize was presented in Houston with Ansary, Barbara Lucas, Ryan C. Crocker, dean of the Bush school since January 2010, Barbara Bush, and Curt Viebranz in attendance with the former president. Bush directed $50,000 of the prize to the Bush school at Texas A&M, and $25,000 will fund an animation about the Siege of Yorktown for Mt. Vernon. Viebranz and Lucas represented Mount Vernon at the presentation.

On June 12, 2014, Bush fulfilled a long-standing promise by skydiving on his 90th birthday. He made the parachute jump from a helicopter near his home at 11:15 a.m. in Kennebunkport, Maine. The jump marked the eighth time the former president had skydived, including jumps on his 80th and 85th birthday as well. He had tweeted about the incident prior to the jump, saying "It's a wonderful day in Maine — in fact, nice enough for a parachute jump."

In November 2014, George W. confirmed that his father wanted Jeb to launch a presidential bid in 2016. Jeb decided to run for president, but struggled and withdrew from the Republican primary in the wave of anti-establishment sentiment led by Donald Trump. Both Bushes emerged as frequent critics of Trump's policies and speaking style, with Trump frequently criticizing George W. Bush's presidency. George H.W. Bush later said that he voted for the Democratic nominee, Hillary Clinton, in the general election instead of Trump. After Trump won the election, Bush sent him a congratulatory message.

Bush and his wife Barbara with Vice President Mike Pence and his wife Karen (far left), 2017. The woman adjacent to Mike Pence is his daughter Charlotte.

On December 7, 2016, Bush and former Senator Bob Dole commemorated the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor by appearing at the Bush Center of Texas A&M University.

On February 5, 2017, George and Barbara Bush participated in the coin toss for Super Bowl LI. On May 18, after the death of Roger Ailes, Bush tweeted, "He wasn't perfect, but Roger Ailes was my friend & I loved him. Not sure I would have been President w/o his great talent, loyal help. RIP." On August 16, Bush and his son George W. released a joint statement in which they condemned the violence at the Unite the Right rally. On September 7, Bush partnered with former presidents Carter, Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama to work with One America Appeal to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma in the Gulf Coast and Texas communities.

Health

On February 24, 2000, Bush was standing at a reception for 90 minutes when he felt lightheaded. He was admitted to a hospital with an irregular heartbeat. When Bush was released three days later, his doctors said that he had retained the irregularity in his heartbeat.

On March 11, 2007, Bush fainted on a golf course and was admitted to the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage, but was released the following morning.

Bush suffers from vascular parkinsonism, a form of Parkinson's disease that has forced him to use a motorized scooter or wheelchair since at least 2012.

In July 2015, Bush suffered a severe neck injury. At age 91 in October that year, he was wearing a neck brace in his first public engagement since the accident when he threw the ceremonial first pitch for the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Bush sent a letter to president-elect Donald Trump in January 2017 to inform him that because of his poor health, he would not be able to attend Trump's inauguration on January 20; he gave him his best wishes. On January 18, he was admitted to the intensive care unit at Houston Methodist Hospital, where he was sedated for a procedure to treat an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia. Three months later, he experienced a recurrence of pneumonia and was hospitalized.

On April 22, 2018, one day after his wife's funeral, the former president was hospitalized with a blood infection. The infection led to sepsis. On the afternoon of May 27, Bush was admitted to Southern Maine Health Care following an experience of low blood pressure and fatigue, spokesman Jim McGrath saying that Bush would "likely remain there for a few days for observation."

Sexual misconduct allegations

In October 2017, during the #MeToo movement, actress Heather Lind accused Bush of groping her and telling an inappropriate joke. Eight other women subsequently made similar allegations, including Christina Baker Kline and Roslyn Corrigan (who was 16 years old at the time of the alleged incident). Bush has apologized for these incidents through his spokesman, Jim McGrath.