I do not miss a celebrity

Former President George W. Bush contrasted himself with Donald Trump in a CBS News interview aired Sunday, saying he feels a responsibility to uphold the dignity of the presidential office.

“I did then, and now I do,” Bush told anchor Norah O’Donnell. “And I think it’s unworthy to want to see my name in print all the time. I think it basically sends a signal that I’m not famous, and you want to know that people should see me. Listen to me! And you know “I do not. I really have not.”

Without openly criticizing Trump, Bush said he felt humble during his time as president. “To me, humility shows an understanding of the self. It shows a belief in a higher power needed to be an effective leader. And we lack humility.”

O’Donnell asked Bush if he was referring to the last four years of the Trump presidency, to which the former president responded: “Yes, absolutely.”

Since leaving office in 2009, the former Republican president has focused on painting. His works are now the subject of a new book entitled Out of many, one: portraits of immigrants in America. The publication of the book is timely given the current immigration debate and the Biden administration’s thorough investigation into the border issue.

As he pointed out to O’Donnell, Bush acknowledged that he was incapable of succeeding in immigration reform during his presidency. In 2006, he said, “America can be a legal society and a welcoming society at the same time.”

“Is this one of the biggest disappointments of your presidency?” asked O’Donnell.

“Yes, it really is,” the former president replied. “I campaigned on immigration reform. I made it very clear to the electorate that this was something I intended to do.”

He also rebukes the anti-immigrant rhetoric that became an integral part of Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

“The problem with the immigration debate is that one can create a lot of fear: they are coming after you,” Bush said. “But it is a nation that is willing to accept the refugee or the disadvantaged or the frightened, who is a great nation to me. And we are a great nation.”

Bush also said in the CBS interview that he would support a Biden administrative path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants if they paid background checks and taxes. However, he added: “Whether my own party listens to me or not is another question.”

In January, Bush condemned the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol by a crowd of pro-Trump supporters, calling it “sick and heartbreaking.”

“Rebellion could seriously damage our nation and reputation,” he said in a statement. “In the United States of America, it is the fundamental responsibility of every patriotic citizen to support the rule of law. To those who are disappointed in the outcome of the election: Our country is more important than the politics of the moment. Let the ‘Elected officials by the people perform their duties and represent our voices in peace and security.’

Newsweek Trump’s representatives reached out for comment.