Dick Cheney said: "In our nation’s 248-year history, there has never been an individual who is a greater threat to our republic than Donald Trump. ... As citizens, we each have a duty to put country above partisanship to defend our Constitution.”
For his part, Trump responded by describing the former vice president as a “RINO” (“Republican In Name Only”), offering a timely reminder that the label no longer has any meaning.
Nevertheless, after last week’s news, it wasn’t long before some started wondering whether Cheney’s former partner in the White House might follow his lead. As NBC News reported, that’s apparently not going to happen.
Former President George W. Bush does not plan to endorse a candidate for president, his office told NBC News on Saturday. When asked whether the former president or his wife, Laura, would endorse a candidate or make public how they will vote, Bush’s office said “no.”
This comes four years after Bush also remained neutral in the 2020 presidential race. (After the election, the former president said he wrote in former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice for president on his 2020 ballot.)
At this point, it’s worth pausing to appreciate the bigger picture.
Barring any surprises or dramatic reversals, the Republican Party’s 2024 presidential candidate won’t have the support of his party’s 2000, 2004, or 2012 presidential nominees.
What’s more, Trump also won’t have the support from the GOP’s 2000, 2004, 2012, 2016, or 2020 vice presidential nominees.
