Presidents

Patrick Witty

The New York Times

George W. Bush is a retired firefighter. In 1960, he shook hands with John F. Kennedy on the campaign trail. Now, at 62, Mr. Bush listens devotedly to Rush Limbaugh. “I was a Democrat before I was a Republican,” he explained. By the look on people’s faces, he said, “I can tell you if you’re a Democrat or a Republican as soon as I introduce my name.” In the portrait, Mr. Bush’s body language makes subtle reference to a picture taken by the photographer Doug Mills on Sept. 11, at the moment when President Bush learned that a second plane had struck the World Trade Center.

Patrick Witty, "Presidents," in POYi Archive, Item #43576, http://archive.poy.org/index.php/items/show/43576 (accessed June 16, 2025).