--- title: The Story of George H.W. Bush Quote 'Read My Lips, No New Taxes' description: George H.W. Bush's quote about no new taxes went down in history. Here's the inside story of how it came to be. canonical: https://time.com/3649511/george-hw-bush-quote-read-my-lips/ author: Lily Rothman article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-12-01T05:32:16.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-13T08:16:21.867Z article:section: History og:title: The Story Behind George H.W. Bush's Famous 'Read My Lips, No New Taxes' Promise og:description: How the "no new taxes" line went down in history og:url: https://time.com/3649511/george-hw-bush-quote-read-my-lips/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfa6617b4ba323c07/69877789cd68485b60098d85/bush2.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: George H. W. Bush og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: The Story Behind George H.W. Bush's Famous 'Read My Lips, No New Taxes' Promise twitter:description: How the "no new taxes" line went down in history twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltfa6617b4ba323c07/69877789cd68485b60098d85/bush2.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # The Story Behind George H.W. Bush's Famous 'Read My Lips, No New Taxes' Promise > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Subscription: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME is a general-interest news organization founded in 1923, reporting on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world. A TIME subscription provides full access to that journalism in print and digital, from $20 a year, and can be cancelled at any time. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=94f8c197-6f92-430c-9a66-e09ab5886af5&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=94f8c197-6f92-430c-9a66-e09ab5886af5&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) ## Video: In Memoriam: George H.W. Bush [Watch (HLS stream): In Memoriam: George H.W. Bush](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Ml94wTOD.m3u8) (4:00)  _Published 2018-12-01. In Memoriam: George H.W. Bush_  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Dec 1, 2018 5:32 AM UTC In Memoriam: George H.W. Bush  by [Lily Rothman](https://time.com/author/lily-rothman/)  ## Lily Rothman Rothman is managing editor at TIME. Dec 1, 2018 5:32 AM UTC Six words. That’s all it took to craft one of the most enduring quotes throughout the career of President George H.W. Bush — who died on Nov. 30, 2018, at the age of 94, just eight months after his wife Barbara Bush**.** “Read my lips: no new taxes.” Spoken by Bush during his 1988 run for the presidency, the quote helped Bush defeat Michael Dukakis, became a cornerstone of his _Saturday Night Live_ persona (embodied by Dana Carvey) and also caught him in a political snare. At a time of major budget deficits and spending needs, Bush was — as many had predicted — unable to get by with cuts alone. Before his first year in office was complete, he had signed into law a [“stealth budget”](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,959176,00.html) that, while leaving the income tax alone, raised various fees and levies. In 1990, David Letterman was [joking](http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,970143,00.html) that Bush’s catchphrase should be updated to “Read my lips: I was lying”; sure enough, it was clear that the original promise had to go. But how did Bush end up making such a promise in the first place? In covering George H.W. Bush’s January 1989 inauguration, TIME got the backstory: --- > “” --- But, though the promise itself proved impossible to keep, George H.W. Bush’s words themselves have had a longevity far beyond their time. **_Read the full story, on the occasion of Bush’s 1989 inauguration, here in the TIME Vault:_** [“](http://time.com/vault/issue/1989-01-30/page/18/)[A New Breeze Is Blowing”](http://time.com/vault/issue/1989-01-30/page/18/) ## Transcript [00:00] [ MUSIC ] [00:06] Let me start with my exoneration with the [00:09] grandparents out there. You are our living link to the [00:13] past. Tell your grandchildren the story of struggles, [00:17] ways at home and abroad, of sacrifices Freely made [00:20] for freedom sake and tell them your own stories as [00:23] well because every American has a story to tell. [00:36] [ MUSIC ] I'm gonna [00:40] work my heart out From now until election day to [00:44] defeat my opponent and to help return sound [00:47] constitutional government to all the people. [ MUSIC ] [00:49] Read my lips, no new taxes. [ APPLAUSE ] I will keep [00:51] America moving forward, always [01:02] forward. Forward. For a better America. For an [01:05] endless, enduring dream, and a thousand points of [01:09] light. This is my mission and I will complete [01:13] it. [ APPLAUSE ] So help me God. The [01:21] totalitarian era is passing. It's old ideas [01:25] blown away like leaves from an ancient Lifeless tree. A [01:30] new breeze is blowing. And a nation refreshed by [01:33] freedom stands ready to push on. There's new ground [01:38] to be broken and new action to be Taken. Saddam [01:42] Hussein's unprovoked invasion, his ruthless, [01:48] systematic rape of a peaceful neighbor violated [01:51] everything the community of nations holds dear. [01:55] [ MUSIC ] The world has said this aggression [02:00] would not stand and it will not stand. The [02:07] coalition used overwhelming air power to defeat a [02:10] brutal dictator and free a nation. [ SOUND ] [02:14] Our armed forces Fought with honor and valor and [02:18] as President I can report to the nation aggression is [02:23] defeated the war is over. [ APPLAUSE ] [02:30] [ APPLAUSE ] [02:35] That there is no animosity, the Cold War days are over. [02:39] If it is possible I wanna continue to build [02:43] a lasting basis for US- Soviet cooperation. For [02:48] a more peaceful future for all mankind. Let's go Bush. [02:50] Let's go Bush. Let's go Bush. [02:55] President Bush is in trouble and the economy is the [02:58] reason. [ MUSIC ] [03:08] He was daring and courageous. Always seeking new [03:11] adventures and new challenges. He was humble and [03:14] quick to Share Credit. He deflected attention from [03:17] himself and refused to brag about his [03:18] accomplishments. He trusted others and Inspire their [03:22] loyalty and above all he found joy in his family and his [03:26] faith. Nothing made him happier than being [03:29] surrounded by his wife. [ MUSIC ] Children and [03:31] grandchildren. In a place where he hd so many [03:34] wonderful memories. [ MUSIC ] [03:37] George W Bush set an example for many people in [03:39] many ways. He is determined to live his life to the [03:43] fullest to the very end [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3649511/george-hw-bush-quote-read-my-lips/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3649511/george-hw-bush-quote-read-my-lips/"},"headline":"The Story Behind George H.W. 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