From Trump to Carter, US honours Bush
WITH their hands on their hearts and faces sombre, US leaders past and present united yesterday to mourn George HW Bush.
The four surviving ex- presidents joined the White House’s current resident Donald Trump for the funeral at the National Cathedral in Washington.
They were accompanied by dignitaries including Prince Charles, former prime minister Sir John Major and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
However it appeared to be an uneasy truce at the service for Mr Bush, who died aged 94 on Friday.
Mr Trump – who attended with wife Melania – greeted Barack and Michelle Obama with handshakes, but made no effort to acknowledge Bill and Hillary Clinton. Mrs Clinton refused to note his arrival, instead staring blankly ahead.
The couples were joined at the front of the cathedral by Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn. Mr Trump remained stony-faced with his arms crossed throughout much of yesterday’s service, and did not sing during the first hymn. His demeanour was in stark contrast to that of Mr Bush’s son George W Bush, who choked up at the end of his emotional tribute.
He praised his father – who served as 41st US president from 1989 to 1993 – as an ‘empathetic... man of quiet faith’ who ‘looked for good in each person’. The younger Mr Bush, who followed his father into the White House as the 43rd president, added that he ‘loved to laugh’ with his favourite jokes tending to be ‘off-colour’.
The poignant and at times funny service was led by Bishop Michael Curry, head of the Episcopal Church and the same cleric who gave a memorable sermon at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan in May. While Mr Trump was never mentioned by name, speakers highlighted the contrast between himself and Mr Bush’s virtues of humility and integrity.
He has feuded bitterly with the Bush family in recent years, with Mr Bush’s wife Barbara making clear that Mr Trump would not be welcome at her funeral in April. Her husband wanted his service to be different, however sources said the offer to attend had been largely due to Mr Bush’s respect for protocol rather than any desire to offer an olive branch.
In his eulogy, historian Jon Meacham told how Mr Bush had spent his life trying to ‘prove himself worthy’ after being the only survivor when his plane was shot down by the Japanese in the Second World War.
He told the 3,000 mourners that Mr Bush’s motto was: ‘Tell the truth, don’t blame people, be strong, do your best, try hard, forgive, stay the course.’
The state funeral service came after three days of official remembrance in Washington. Mr Bush’s remains will return to Texas for burial today.