In a wide-ranging conversation with The Texas Tribune, former President George W. Bush said that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot left him "disgusted" and "disturbed."

What You Need To Know

  • Former President George W. Bush said he was "disgusted" and "disturbed" by the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, noting that he's "still disturbed" when he thinks about it

  • Bush said he did not believe the Trump administration put democracy at risk, saying that false information spreading on the internet puts democracy at risk, adding that "checks and balances work"

  • The 43rd president offered praise for Biden, saying that he's spoken to the president and expressed pleasure with his early tenure in office so far

  • Bush sat for the interview to promote his new book, "Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants," in which he advocates for immigration overhaul

"I was sick to my stomach," Bush told Tribune CEO Evan Smith in a conversation as part of the SXSW 2021 online festival, "to see our nation's Capitol being stormed by hostile forces."

"It really disturbed me to the point where I did put out a statement, and I'm still disturbed when I think about it," Bush went on to say, adding: "It undermines rule of law and the ability to express yourself in peaceful ways in the public square. This was an expression that was not peaceful."

The 43rd president's comments echo the statement he put out on Jan. 6, where he called the violent insurrection "a sickening and heartbreaking sight" and said he was "appalled by the reckless behavior of some political leaders since the election and by the lack of respect shown today for our institutions, our traditions, and our law enforcement."

Bush explicitly said that the election was not stolen, simply saying "no," but used the same one-word denial when asked if the Trump administration put democracy at risk.

"What’s putting democracy at risk is the capacity to get on the internet to spread" false information, Bush noted, but praised America's "balanced system" for maintaining order.

"Checks and balances work," he added.

"I think the election, all elections have some kind of improprieties," Bush said, but said that "the results of this election, though, were confirmed when Joe Biden got inaugurated as president."

Bush said he was concerned about the anger in the country, but the high voter turnout in 2018 and 2020 brought him hope.

"That's a telltale sign that people want to get engaged in the system and that they were willing to go vote," Bush said. 

"Politics has always been rough," he added. "And right now we're at a period of time, though, when there's a lot of anger in the system, which then causes people to worry about the future of our democracy," he said. "I think it's going to eventually work its way out of the system."

"History and the United States has shown these populist movements begin to fritter over time, and so I'm optimistic about democracy," Bush continued.

Bush offered praise for Biden, saying that he's spoken to the president and expressed pleasure with his early tenure in office so far.

"He's an experienced guy, and you know, I had a good conversation with him. I said, 'Anything I can do to help, if I feel comfortable with it, let me know,'" Bush said, adding: "He's off to a good start it looks like."

Bush was one of the first high-profile Republicans to recognize Biden's win, attended his inauguration on Jan. 20, and recently appeared in an ad campaign alongside former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama encouraging Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

"The science is clear: These vaccines will protect you and those you love from this dangerous and deadly disease," Bush said in the ad.

Bush offered Biden advice to mute the criticism: "There'll be a lot of critics, and just do what you think is right. And you shouldn't tailor policy based upon the internet noise or the editorials. He ought to surround himself with a good team, listen to them and make decisions in a crisp way."

The former president's interview was part of a promotional tour for his upcoming book, "Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants," in which Bush painted portraits of immigrants, including former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and Henry Kissinger, former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Dallas Mavericks legend and former NBA MVP Dirk Nowitzki. In the book, Bush continues to advocate for immigration overhaul, which he championed as president but could not accomplish.

"There needs to be an overhaul, which means that we need to get politics out of the system and get sober-minded people focusing on a) what's best for our economy and b) what's best for our country," Bush said, adding: "Rather than ignore the situation, we've got to address it, and I do believe there should be a path to citizenship."