Kennedy Townsend, who goes by Hartington online, posted a photo of herself with the former president on Facebook with the caption, “The President told me he’s voting for Hillary!”
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Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, son of George H.S. Bush, said he will not support Clinton or Trump.
She confirmed to Politico that the Republican grandee, who served as president from 1989 to 1993 and vice-president from 1981 to 1989, would be voting for the Democrat candidate for the White House.
According to Politico, President George H.W. Bush told former Maryland Lt. Gov. Kathleen Hartington Kennedy Townsend-the daughter of Robert F. Kennedy-that he was voting for Clinton on November 8.
But sources with knowledge of the conversation told CNN they were surprised and disappointed that Kennedy Townsend had publicly shared a private conversation with the former president.
For her part, Townsend said she met the president in ME earlier on Monday, and he told her he was voting for Clinton in November, confirming to Politico, “That’s what he said”.
There is no verification if the people heard it clearly but there are sources confirming the former president’s statement as reported by CNN.
But the Bush family is staying tight-lipped, with spokesman Jim McGrath saying it’ll be a “private vote”. “He is not commenting on the presidential race in the interim”.
In May, Mr McGrath told The Guardian George Bush Sr “naturally did a few things to help Jeb, but those were the exceptions that proved the rule”.
Kennedy Townsend has since removed the post from Facebook, but this is the internet, where screenshots are forever.
In May, both former presidents Bush made clear that they would not endorse Donald Trump.
“Everyone is going to have to choose who best suits their values, and if Hillary Clinton represents George Bush’s values then that’s his prerogative”, Pierson said.
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Spokespeople for the Trump campaign and the Clinton campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
