Trump sends his best wishes to George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara who are in hospital suffering pneumonia and a 'fatigue and a cough'
- Barbara Bush, wife of President George H.W. Bush, was admitted to hospital over 'fatigue and coughing' symptoms
- Her husband George H.W. Bush, 92, was also hospitalized on Saturday with 'shortness of breath'
- The former president is currently in the intensive care unit for pneumonia
- George H.W. Bush, wrote a letter last week to President-elect Donald Trump
- In it he joked that if he sat 'outside in January' for the inauguration he would die
- He has been hospitalized several times in recent years but has always recovered
- President Obama, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and Sen. John McCain have all wished them well
- Bush was Vice President to Ronald Reagan and then President from 1989 to 1993
President-elect Donald Trump has taken to Twitter to wish former President George H.W. Bush and wife Barbara a speedy recovery after being taken to hospital in Houston with pneumonia.
The 92-year-old is currently in the ICU his 91-year-old wife Barbara was admitted to same Houston hospital.
'Looking forward to a speedy recovery for George and Barbara Bush, both hospitalized. Thank you for your wonderful letter!' Mr Trump wrote, referring to a letter he has received from the 41st President.
The President-elect tweeted to wish former president George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara a speedy recovery and to thank them for their letter
Mr Trump then tweeted a photo of himself penning his inaugural address
Former President George H.W. Bush used a bit of humor to excuse himself from attending Donald Trump's inauguration on Friday
In the letter to President-elect Donald Trump, former President Bush said his failing health was keeping him from being in attendance along with the other three living former presidents: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and his son George W. Bush.
'Barbara and I are so sorry we can't be there for your inauguration on January 20th. My doctor says if I sit outside in January, it likely will put me six feet under. Same for Barbara. So I guess we're stuck in Texas.
'But we will be with you and the country in spirit. I want you to know that I wish you the very best as you begin this incredible journey of leading our great country. If I can ever be of help, please let me know,' Bush wrote.
The letter was written before he was admitted to hospital with pneumonia.
Meanwhile, the former President's wife, Barbara Bush, was also taken for treatment at Houston Methodist Hospital this morning 'as a precaution after experiencing fatigue and coughing,' according to statement by the Bush office.
It added that doctors want to see how the former first lady responds to treatment before allowing her to return home.
Barbara Bush has been admitted to hospital just four days after husband and former President George H.W. Bush, 92, was taken to the same medical center
George H W Bush is pictured, left and right, with his wife Barbara in 2003, was also hospitalized on Saturday
Just four days earlier, her husband George H.W. Bush was admitted to the same Houston hospital suffering from a 'shortness of breath'.
A Bush spokesman said that the former president has since been moved to the intensive care unit to address an acute respiratory problem from pneumonia.
Spokesman Jim McGrath says the 92-year-old was placed under sedation for a procedure to protect and clear his airway. He is now stable and resting comfortably.
'I don't think there's a whole lot of money to be gained betting against George Bush,' McGrath said. 'We're just kind of in a wait-and-see mode.'
He also added that Barbara, who celebrated her 72nd wedding anniversary with George Bush Snr. on January 6, was hospitalized as a precaution after she began to exhibit symptoms such as coughing and fatigue.
Their grandson George P. Bush, Jeb Bush's son, has announced he no longer plans to attend Donald Trump's inauguration due to his grandparents' ill health. But he still plans 'to attend a private event with the new president next week in Washington,' A Bush spokesman said.
Bush, a former CIA director, was Ronald Reagan's Vice President from 1980 until 1988 and was then President until he was defeated in the 1992 election by Bill Clinton.
Just days before he was hospitalized George H.W. Bush had joked that attending the inauguration would kill him.
The 41st President had already planned on skipping Friday's inauguration before he was admitted to hospital with pneumonia.
Bill Clinton -the 42rd president - tweeted to wish George H.W. Bush - the 41st president - and his wife a speedy recovery
Senator John McCain also sent along his prayers to the Bushes for a 'speedy and full recovery'
On Wednesday, Bill Clinton - the 42rd President - also tweeted to wish George H.W. Bush and his wife well.
He wrote: '41 and Barbara - thinking about you both and sending wishes for a speedy recovery. Love 42.'
President Barack Obama also took a moment out of his final White House press conference to send his prayers to the former First Family.
'We have been in touch with the Bush family today,' he said. 'They have not only dedicated their lives to this country, they have been a constant source of friendship and support and good counsel for Michelle and me over the years.
'They are as fine a couple as we know and so we want to send and prayers and our love to them.'
Senator John McCain added: 'Praying for speedy & full recovery of @GeorgeHWBush & Barbara Bush & sending best wishes to the entire Bush family today.'
Chat show host Ellen DeGeneres also passed on her 'love' to George and Barbara Bush, while Texas Rep. Bill Flores and Sen. John Cornyn sent their prayers to the family.
It was reported earlier this week that President Obama was leaving office with approval rating of 58 percent, the highest of any departing President since George H W Bush in 1993.
Ellen DeGeneres also tweeted she was 'sending love' to George and Barbara Bush
Bush family spokesman Jim McGrath said: 'Doctors and everyone are very pleased, and we hope to have him out soon.'
His office announced earlier this month that Bush and his wife, Barbara, would not attend Donald Trump's inauguration due to his age.
His son, George W Bush, became President in 2000 and was re-elected four years later but another son, Jeb, failed to reach the White House last year, crashing out of the race for the Republican nomination in the face of the phenomenal rise of Donald Trump.
Bush Sr has not been politically active in recent years although he did give his support to Jeb's doomed bid for the Presidency.
The former head of the CIA has had his share of health issues in recent years.
In July 2015 Bush, who has a form of Parkinson's disease, was taken to a hospital in Portland, Maine after fracturing a bone in his neck in a fall.
But he was out of bed within a day of the accident, which happened at a family home in Kennebunkport.
Six months earlier, he had been taken to Houston Methodist hospital after complaining of 'shortness of breath' but was released a week later.
George H W Bush with his son George W at the Cape Arundel Golf Club in Maine in 2002
Bush (second from right in the front row, sitting next to his wife with the rest of his family in 2005), was taken to Houston Methodist Hospital, Texas after falling ill, according to his office chief of staff, Jean Becker
Barbara and George H. W. Bush married in 1945 (left). They are seen in China in 1974 (right)
George H. W. Bush with his wife, Barbara, and their children Pauline and George W. on horse in the yard of their Midlands, Texas ranch in an undated photograph
In late 2012 he was hospitalized with a 'bronchitis-related' cough and spent time in intensive care before returning home early in 2013.
Bush has used a wheelchair in recent years and his public appearances have been few and far between.
In October 2015, Bush, sitting in his wheelchair, wearing a brace on his neck and clad in a Houston Astros jersey, tossed out the first pitch at the team's playoff game against the Kansas City Royals.
He marked the 75th anniversary of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor last month by attending a ceremony at his presidential library at Texas A&M University, where Bob Dole, the former Republican Senator from Kansas, was presented an award for public service.
Before serving as president, Bush was a former U.S. Navy pilot and lieutenant during World War II.
Last summer he led a group of 40 war veterans on a fishing trip at the helm of his speedboat, three days after his 92nd birthday celebration.
Their grandson George P. Bush (pictured in 2015) Jeb Bush's son, has announced he no longer plans to attend Donald Trump's inauguration due to his grandparents' ill health
Mrs Bush was just 16 when she met her future at a school dance, and he borrowed a car for the couple's first date, Today reported. They tied the knot in 1945 and hold the record for longest-married presidential couple.
After graduating from Yale, Bush moved his wife Barbara and their children to west Texas, where they moved into the oil business.
Bush later entered politics and was sworn into the U.S. Congress in 1967. After two terms, he was named U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations under President Richard Nixon.
He also served as chairman of the Republican National Committee and then director of the CIA and in 1980, he joined Ronald Reagan's ticket, to become the 43rd vice president in January 1981.
Bush was elected president in his own right in 1988, defeating former Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis.
The couple's six children include former President George W. Bush, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Neil Bush, Marvin Bush, Dorothy Bush Koch, and the late Robin Bush, who died in 1953. They have 17 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Five Presidents: Bush is pictured (far left) in 1991 with (left to right) Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon. Carter was the only Democrat in the White House between 1968 and 1992
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