Former presidents Bush issue joint statement condemning racial bigotry

Former presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush issued a statement Wednesday condemning racial bigotry in response to the violent protest over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The statement, issued from the senior Bush’s summer home in Kennebunkport, makes reference to Thomas Jefferson, the nation’s third president. The statement comes a day after President Trump said anti-racist counter-protesters shared blame for the violence, although Trump’s two Republican predecessors did not directly mention or criticize Trump.

The statement says:

“America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism, and hatred in all forms. As we pray for Charlottesville, we are reminded of the fundamental truths recorded by that city’s most prominent citizen in the Declaration of Independence: we are all created equal and endowed by our Creator with unalienable rights. We know these truths to be everlasting because we have seen the decency and greatness of our country.”