[451][452][453]

George W. Bush and Laura at the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, 2021
On January 6, 2021, following the U.S. Capitol attack, Bush denounced the violence and attack alongside the three other living former presidents, Obama, Clinton, and Carter,[454] releasing a statement saying that "this is how election results are disputed in a banana republic, not our democratic republic"[455] and that "it is a sickening and heartbreaking sight".[456] He also echoed President-elect Biden's message stating that what occurred at the capital was an "insurrection".[457] On January 20, Bush and his wife attended Biden's inauguration.[458]
Bush opposed President Biden's withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, saying that the withdrawal made him "concerned" and that it had the potential to "create a vacuum, and into that vacuum is likely to come people who treat women as second class citizens".[459] During an interview with Deutsche Welle on July 14, 2021, Bush reaffirmed his opposition to the troop withdrawal, calling the plan "a mistake".