Very old school...
In paid private speeches, the long-retired 43rd president has been known to joke that both Trump and President Joe Biden are too old for the demands of the office.
"I'm younger than both of the candidates, and I'm too old," Bush has said in at least one speech, according to a witness who requested anonymity.
Just don't expect Bush, who turned 78 earlier this month, to say this kind of thing out loud - not even about Trump, the volatile businessman who built his political career in part by trashing the legacy of the Bush dynasty
While people often call on Bush to speak out against Trump and the Republican Party he has remade in his own image, friends and associates said he is standing by his pledge not to critique other presidents and political leaders.
"The job of the president is very hard to begin with," Ari Fleischer, former White House press secretary for Bush, told USA TODAY. "He doesn't want to make it harder for anyone, friend or foe."
"It's very old school," Fleischer added. "It's very gracious. It's very Bush."
It also has public benefits for the former president - his approval ratings have more than doubled since he left office more than 15 years ago.
