Washington: Former President George W. Bush has delivered a scathing warning about Donald Trump, saying his "America first" philosophy portends a dangerous inward turn that is eroding democracy at home and threatening stability around the world.
"The health of the democratic spirit is at issue," the 43rd president said during a speech in New York on Thursday, local time. "And the renewal of that spirit is the urgent task at hand.
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'Bigotry seems emboldened': George W. Bush
Without mentioning Trump's name, the former US president gives a damning speech about the growing bigotry and cruelty seeping into American discourse.
"Since World War II, America has encouraged and benefited from the global advance of the free markets, from the strength of democratic alliance and from the advance of free societies," Bush said.
"Bullying and prejudice in our public life sets a national tone, provides permission for cruelty and bigotry, and compromises the moral education of children."
He also warned of the dangers of a worldwide pattern of countries - including some in Europe - "turning inward." And though Bush did not name Trump by name during his remarks, his warning about the current US chief executive was clear.
"America is not immune from these trends," Bush said. "Bigotry seems emboldened. Our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication."
Several hours before Bush spoke, Trump delivered a conspiracy theory via a remarkable tweet in which he suggested Russian officials, the FBI and the Democratic Party worked together to create a dossier of potentially incriminating information about him during the 2016 presidential election.
One line of Bush's speech appeared pointedly aimed at Trump: "And we know that when we lose sight of our ideals, it is not democracy that has failed, it is the failure of those charged with preserving and protecting democracy."
![Former U.S. President George W. Bush speaking out in New York.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171020113726im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/z/4/m/9/c/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gz4m8x.png/1508442125529.jpg)
It contained two words "preserving" and "protecting" that appear in the Oath of Office both he (twice) and Trump have taken.
The former Texas governor and son of the 41st president, George H.W. Bush, also spoke of a "casual cruelty" that has seeped into American politics and culture. Trump's critics have slammed him for what they view as cruel comments about individuals from Mexico, Central and South America, and African-Americans, as well as women and his political foes.
![Former U.S. President George W. Bush listens to speakers at a forum sponsored by the George W. Bush Institute in New York.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171020113726im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/z/4/m/9/5/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gz4m8x.png/1508442125529.jpg)
"We've become the heirs of Martin Luther King, Jr., by recognising one another not by the colour of their skin but by the content of the character," he said. "This means that people of every race, religion and ethnicity can be fully and equally American. It means that bigotry or white supremacy in any form is blasphemy against the American creed."
The audience, which remained silent during most of the remarks, cheered after that portion. Trump has given cover to white supremacist groups that organised a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August that turned violent and left one counterprotester dead, saying both sides were at fault and that among the white supremacists some were good people.
![Former US President George W. Bush speaks at a forum sponsored by the George W. Bush Institute in New York.](http://web.archive.org./web/20171020113726im_/https://www.fairfaxstatic.com.au/content/dam/images/g/z/4/m/9/7/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.gz4m8x.png/1508442125529.jpg)
Bush, a pro-trade and pro-immigration Republican, also went right after Trump on those policy issues.
"We see a fading confidence in the value of free markets and international trade - forgetting that conflict, instability and poverty follow in the wake of protectionism," he said. "We've seen the return of isolationist sentiments, forgetting that American security is directly threatened by the chaos and despair in distant places.
"(Past) presidents of both parties believed American security and prosperity depended on success of freedom around the world. They knew that the success depended, in large part, on US leadership," Bush said, later adding: "We need to recall and recover our own identity. We only need to remember our values."
MCT