MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell Confronts Harris-Supporting Ex-GOP Rep About Why George W. Bush Hasn’t Endorsed: ‘It’s Hard!’

MSNBC’s Andrea Mitchell spoke to former GOP congressman Fred Upton on Wednesday about the impact of an endorsement like his — for Democratic presidential candidate Vice President Kamala Harris — in his battleground state of Michigan. While they were on the subject of cross-party endorsements, she asked about one former president who has been silent.

At the end of their conversation on Andrea Mitchell Reports, Mitchell asked Upton why former President George W. Bush had not publicly endorsed either Harris or former President Donald Trump:

Mitchell: What about George W. Bush? President George H.W. Bush, Bush 41, voted for Hillary Clinton, made it public. So, what do you make of the silence of George W. Bush, despite what [Bush’s VP] Dick Cheney, Liz Cheney and others like yourself have said?

Upton: Well, it’s sort of within being silent and sort of tells me who he’s going to likely vote for. But I think he’s decided just to sit on his hands as has [former VP] Mike Pence. You know, it’s hard. I got to say, it’s hard. This is the first time I have ever voted for a Democrat for president. And, sure I split my ticket in the past. And I did it again, I voted absentee this last week.

But it’s hard to endorse a presidential candidate on the other ticket, whether it be Republican or Democrat, depending on your viewpoint. It’s hard to do. And that’s why it really is unprecedented now that more than 30 former Republican members of Congress have said we’ve had enough. We have to work together. And it’s going to happen under a Harris administration and frankly, probably not very likely under a Trump administration.

Watch the video above via MSNBC.