George W. Bush Urges Neighborly Love in 250th Anniversary Message

When Jenna Bush Hager interviewed the four living former presidents in Philadelphia last month, three answered her question about a message for the nation’s 250th anniversary. George W. Bush instead urged citizens to study history, participate in public life, and treat neighbors with mutual affection.

Bill Clinton said the country survives through free speech, voting, and political compromise. Joe Biden described the United States as unique for viewing democracy as governed by constitutional rules. Barack Obama reminded listeners that the country has citizens rather than rulers and called for peaceful, legal resolution of disagreements.

George W. Bush said Americans should consider themselves fortunate, learn from history, act as citizens rather than spectators, and love a neighbor as they wish to be loved. His closing reference paraphrased Leviticus.

The first three responses framed the republic as a structure of rules and procedures for managing disagreement. Bush’s answer presented the country as a community bound by active obligations to one another. Bush separately told NBC News that free public speech and an independent press should unite Americans. He described these institutions as shared possessions rather than partisan tools.

After leaving office in 2009, Bush avoided daily political commentary and social media. He painted portraits of 66 wounded veterans for the 2017 book Portraits of Courage and 43 immigrants for the 2021 volume Out of Many, One. The titles and subjects reflect a continuing emphasis on shared national identity over demographic categories.