President George W. Bush at last weighed in on the election Tuesday night — but only to encourage his fellow citizens to vote.
The former president, who has remained silent on the 2016 presidential race since his brother Jeb dropped out of the Republican nominating contests, appeared during a short video tied to an upcoming documentary about the Broadway musical “Hamilton.”
“Hamilton’s America Wants You To Vote” featured a bevy of political figures encouraging citizens to fulfill their civic duty.
Bush, sitting in a library with an American flag halfway out of frame, told viewers that “our future depends upon you casting a ballot.”
Former First Lady Laura Bush also made an appearance, encouraging those watching to “stay involved in the political life in our country.”
They were two of several political figures, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, featured in the bipartisan PSA published to the “Tonight Show” YouTube channel Tuesday.
President Barack Obama was also featured in the video, saying, “if you’re inspired by Hamilton, if you’re inspired by our founders, understand that the system of government they designed only works if you participate.”
Though the Bush family has refrained from commenting on the current contest for the White House, Bush’s father and daughter have signaled support for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump.
A Facebook post by Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, John F. Kennedy’s niece and Robert Kennedy’s daughter, claimed last month that George H. W. Bush told her he was casting his vote for Clinton. A family spokesman declined to confirm or deny the report at the time, but son Jeb Bush, who waged his own unsuccessful campaign for the Republican nomination this year, appeared to confirm the comment when he criticized Townsend for “overhear[ing]” his father and publicizing his remark.
George W. Bush’s daughter Barbara also attended a fundraiser for Clinton in Paris on Saturday, posing for pictures with aide Huma Abedin and suggesting she might also be casting her vote for Clinton instead of Trump.
“Hamilton” the musical has also had a side role in the presidential campaign — creator and star Lin-Manuel Miranda has declared his support for Clinton, and the Democratic nominee used a performance of the musical on Broadway as a fundraising event for supporters.
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