--- title: George W. Bush's Letter to Barack Obama Revealed description: Bill Clinton and George W. Bush warned their successors of future challenges but also spoke of the thrill of taking office in letters canonical: https://time.com/4640219/letters-george-bush-bill-clinton-inauguration/ author: Melissa Chan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-01-19T22:55:37.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T10:38:00.472Z article:section: Politics og:title: Read George W. Bush's Inauguration Day Letter to Barack Obama og:description: And the letter Bill Clinton wrote to Bush og:url: https://time.com/4640219/letters-george-bush-bill-clinton-inauguration/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc2c0472995b692dc/6988b64b97cdff99056af2bc/inauguration-letters-presidents.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Barack Obama Is Sworn In As 44th President Of The United States og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Read George W. Bush's Inauguration Day Letter to Barack Obama twitter:description: And the letter Bill Clinton wrote to Bush twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc2c0472995b692dc/6988b64b97cdff99056af2bc/inauguration-letters-presidents.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Read George W. Bush's Inauguration Day Letter to Barack Obama > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. Senior correspondent Philip Elliott brings sharp context to the issues driving the capital, connecting the decisions made in Washington to the institutions, industries and people they affect. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=66490f69-65f3-4d9e-953c-814b20b405cf&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 85,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 37.0% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Philip Elliott, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership The policy influence ecosystem. A policy-focused audience spanning government, public affairs, advocacy, law, research, political media, and the institutions that make, interpret and respond to public policy. ### TIME D.C. Brief: key statements * D.C. 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Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. It reaches 85,000 subscribers with a 37.0% open rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Jan 19, 2017 10:55 PM UTC  Former President George W. Bush (2-R), his wife Laura (R) stand with President Barack Obama (2-L) and First Lady Michelle Obama (L) as Bush departs from the U.S. Capitol after the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the U.S. on Jan. 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. Former President George W. Bush (2-R), his wife Laura (R) stand with President Barack Obama (2-L) and First Lady Michelle Obama (L) as Bush departs from the U.S. Capitol after the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th president of the U.S. on Jan. 20, 2009 in Washington, DC. Pool—Getty Images  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Jan 19, 2017 10:55 PM UTC Former Presidents [Bill Clinton](http://time.com/4425599/dnc-bill-clinton-speech-transcript-video/) and [George W. Bush](http://time.com/4563361/george-w-bush-donald-trump-clinton/) warned their successors of future challenges they may face but also spoke of the thrill of taking the nation’s highest office in [letters that were publicly revealed](http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/abc-george-bushs-inauguration-day-letter-barack-obama/story?id=44896610) Thursday. Clinton wished Bush “success and much happiness” while Bush told [President Barack Obama](http://time.com/4639418/president-obama-final-thank-you-letter/?xid=homepage) he was “pulling” for him, according to the letters obtained by ABC News from the National Archives and Records Administration. “There will be trying moments. The critics will rage. Your ‘friends’ will disappoint you. But, you will have an Almighty God to comfort you, a family who loves you, and a country that is pulling for you, including me,” Bush wrote to Obama in January 2009\. “No matter what comes, you will be inspired by the character and compassion of the people you now lead.” Clinton’s letter had a similar sentiment. “You lead a proud, decent, good people. And from this day you are President of all of us. I salute you and wish you success and much happiness,” reads Clinton’s missive to Bush. “The burdens you now shoulder are great but often exaggerated. The sheer joy of doing what you believe is right is inexpressible. My prayers are with you and your family. Godspeed.” > [](https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/822207194963775489) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4640219/letters-george-bush-bill-clinton-inauguration/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4640219/letters-george-bush-bill-clinton-inauguration/"},"headline":"Read George W. Bush's Inauguration Day Letter to Barack Obama","datePublished":"2017-01-19T22:55:37.000Z","dateModified":"2026-03-31T10:38:00.472Z","description":"“There will be trying moments. 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