Barbara Pierce Bush, the daughter of former President George W. Bush, has publicly endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for the 2024 presidential race. This marks a significant shift from her family’s historically Republican affiliations.
Barbara Bush, 42, has been actively campaigning for Harris, going door-to-door in politically mixed areas north of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She expressed her hope that Harris would advance the country and safeguard women’s rights.
Former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) has lauded Bush’s endorsement, commending her for “standing for truth, decency, and freedom.”
Bush’s backing contributes to an expanding group of figures connected to the Republican party who are supporting Harris. Former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz, who previously labeled Trump as “a greater threat to our republic than any individual in our nation’s history,” are among those who have endorsed Harris.
The endorsements from the Bush and Cheney families are part of a wider trend. Other notable endorsements for Harris have come from Susan Ford Bales, daughter of former President Gerald Ford, Jimmy McCain, son of the late Senator John McCain, former Senators Jeff Flake and Nancy Kassebaum, as well as several former officials from the Trump administration, including Anthony Scaramucci, Stephanie Grisham, and Olivia Troye.
Over 200 ex-Republican staffers who served under former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, Senator Mitt Romney, and the late Senator John McCain have signed a letter in support of Harris. Moreover, 17 former staff members from President Ronald Reagan’s administration have endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket.
The endorsements come despite George Bush’s decision to abstain from endorsing any candidate. The Bush family’s relationship with the Republican party has been complicated, with Barbara’s grandmother, former First Lady Barbara Bush, and her uncle Jeb Bush expressing their criticisms of Trump in the past.
Barbara Bush, who identifies as an independent, has previously diverged from the Republican party’s views. In 2017, she was the keynote speaker at a Planned Parenthood fundraiser in Texas, and her mother, former First Lady Laura Bush, publicly broke from the party’s stance on issues such as same-sex marriage and abortion rights in 2010.
Barbara Bush is a co-founder of Global Health Corps, a nonprofit focusing on health issues worldwide, and an established author. Her twin sister, Jenna Bush Hager, a host on NBC’s “Today Show,” has voiced her support for Barbara’s political inclination.
