On President's Day, George W. Bush Pens a Cautionary Tribute to Washington — and to Power
Former President George W. Bush used a Presidents' Day essay to emphasize presidential humility and the importance of stepping away from power. Released as the lead essay in a new history initiative, the piece praises George Washington for twice declining to centralize authority — language that many observers interpreted as a pointed reminder about the dangers of holding on to office.
Bush's message: humility, restraint, and the relinquishing of power
In the essay, Bush highlights Washington’s choice to walk away from both military and executive dominance: relinquishing control of the Army after the Revolution and stepping down from the presidency after two terms. "Few qualities have inspired me more than Washington’s humility, " Bush writes, adding that by "relinquishing power rather than holding onto it, he ensured America wouldn’t become a monarchy, or worse. "
The former president frames Washington’s conduct as a model for public service — a blend of dignity, self-restraint and devotion to institutional norms. He describes Washington’s refusal to let the presidency accrue "near-mythical powers, " portraying that restraint as a founding safeguard for republican government.
Context and the broader project
The essay inaugurates a week-by-week series produced for the nation’s 250th anniversary, organized as a nonpartisan history project that will feature a range of public figures and scholars writing about U. S. presidents and select first ladies. The stated aim is to make presidential history "relevant" while taking a long view of institutional lessons.
The roster of contributors is broad and bipartisan in intent: it includes former presidents and prominent public servants who will write about earlier leaders. The series will not include contributions from the current president or the immediate past president, a choice that organizers say avoids some contemporary minefields. The project’s leader, who had previously served in a national archival role, is guiding the series with emphasis on themes that transcend short-term politics.
Why the essay landed as a rebuke
While the essay avoids naming living officials, its insistence on the moral and civic virtue of yielding power resonated in a politically charged environment where debates about electoral legitimacy, term limits and the peaceful transfer of authority have intensified. Observers connected Bush’s praise for Washington’s voluntary exits to recent episodes in which political figures have sought to prolong influence or contest electoral outcomes.
For many readers, the piece functioned as a reminder that reverence for institutions and the willingness to subordinate personal ambition to the common good are central to democratic survival. The choice to lead with Washington — a figure widely associated with avoidance of monarchical temptation — sharpened that lesson and underscored the project’s larger purpose: to use historical examples as guardrails for current civic behavior.
As the bicentennial commemorations and the wider 250th anniversary observances unfold through the year, this opening essay sets a tone. It champions a quiet, dignified standard of leadership that emphasizes limits on power as a core civic value — a message that will likely echo through subsequent contributions.
