--- title: Laura Bush Describes What She Wants From the Next President description: Former First Lady Laura Bush revealed the qualities she wants to see in America’s next president, without endorsing a current candidate. canonical: https://time.com/4287906/laura-bush-presidential-candidate/ author: Melissa Chan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-04-10T20:46:18.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-03-31T09:28:15.219Z article:section: Politics og:title: Laura Bush Describes What She Wants From the Next President og:description: Without endorsing a current candidate og:url: https://time.com/4287906/laura-bush-presidential-candidate/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt93021c6637394476/69888e6b428a9ef0cacd2254/laura-bush-president.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: laura-bush-president og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Laura Bush Describes What She Wants From the Next President twitter:description: Without endorsing a current candidate twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt93021c6637394476/69888e6b428a9ef0cacd2254/laura-bush-president.jpg?branch=production&width=2400&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Former First Lady Laura Bush Describes What She Wants From the Next President  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Apr 10, 2016 8:46 PM UTC  Laura Bush speaks onstage during Tina Brown's 7th Annual Women In The World Summit on April 7, 2016 in New York City. Laura Bush speaks onstage during Tina Brown's 7th Annual Women In The World Summit on April 7, 2016 in New York City.Jemal Countess—2016 Getty Images  by [Melissa Chan](https://time.com/author/melissa-chan/)  ## Melissa Chan Apr 10, 2016 8:46 PM UTC Former First Lady Laura Bush [revealed the qualities she wants to see in America’s next president](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/laura-bush-opens-up-on-what-makes-a-good-2016-candidate/), without endorsing a current candidate, while speaking Thursday at New York’s seventh annual Women in the World Summit. The [wife to former President George W. Bush](http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1838223%5F1838222%5F1838220,00.html?iid=sr-link2) said her ideal commander-in-chief keeps the country’s past in mind while continuing to “do what we’re committed to do as a country,” according to CBS News. “I want our next president — whoever he or she might be — to be somebody who is interested in women in Afghanistan and who will continue U.S. policies,” she said. “That’s who I want — or the kind of people that will do that and will pay attention to our history, and know what’s happened before and know specifically how we can continue to do the good things that we do around the world.” Bush’s comments [sparked speculation by some](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/08/laura-bush-hints-shed-rather-see-hillary-as-president-than-repub/) that the former first lady would support Hillary Clinton, but a family spokesperson shut those rumors down, according to CBS. 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