Both former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara will not be attending Trump’s inauguration this Friday. In a funny letter to President-elect Donald Trump, the former president explains his upcoming absence:
“My doctor says if I sit outside in January it will likely put me six feet under. Same for Barbara, so I guess we are stuck in Texas.”
Trump accepted the decline and wished him well. Bush has been hospitalized with pneumonia and really is too unwell to attend. It is not really clear whether Barbara is ill as well, although the letter implies she is also under doctor’s orders to not attend.
ABC tweeted the letter here:
George H.W. Bush sent letter to Trump on Jan. 10 stating he couldn't attend Inauguration: "We will be with you and the country in spirit." pic.twitter.com/zcoieQJmP6
— ABC News (@ABC) January 18, 2017
All living presidents usually attend Presidential inaugurations. George Bush Senior’s decline is health-based. The Clintons, George W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter have all said they will be there on the 20th of January to see Donald Trump become the 45th President of the United States.
There is another funny interpretation to Bush’s letter – that watching Trump become president could actually be lethal. Many people have decided to boycott the swearing in, and it has been widely reported that Trump has been unable to find many A-listers to perform at the inauguration.
2016 saw many celebrity deaths, including David Bowie, Prince, Mohammed Ali, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds, and many others. These deaths, along with the surprise election of Trump, meant for many people last year was a bit of a ‘rotter’.
Lisa Edelstein made this tongue in cheek tweet relating the sudden death of Alan Thicke to the incoming “Trumpacolypse”:
RIP Alan Thicke. Seems like everyone is checking out before the Trumpacolypse.
— Lisa Edelstein (@LisaEdelstein) December 14, 2016
Some people took great offence to this tweet. That is the thing with comedy, it is not everybody’s cup of tea.
Many people are dreading the swearing in of Donald Trump. While the Bushes have a legitimate health reason for not attending, many others will not be going or watching as a show of resistance to what Trump stands for.
Featured image via Pete Souza.
