Trump visits George H.W. Bush's casket in the Capitol rotunda

After former President George H.W. Bush's casket arrived at the U.S. Capitol on Monday afternoon, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Vice President Mike Pence, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) eulogized him as a humble and gracious public servant. Members of the public, some of whom had been waiting in line for hours, were allowed to enter the Capitol rotunda to pay their respects starting at 7:30 p.m. EST. And at 8:30 p.m., President Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived, spent about a minute in front of the flag-draped casket, then departed.

Trump, who has a rocky relationship with the Bush family, did not offer any public comments, but he saluted the casket before leaving. And in a message to Congress, Trump said Bush's life "exemplified what is truly great about America," adding that the 41st president "worked selflessly throughout his long life to bring about a world of justice and lasting peace." Trump will attend but not speak at Bush's memorial service at Washington National Cathedral on Wednesday.

Supreme Court justices and rank-and-file lawmakers also paid their respects on Monday.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Bush will lie in state in the Capitol until Wednesday. After his Washington memorial service, he will be flown back to Houston for his funeral. Bush, who died Friday, will be buried at Texas A&M University on Thursday.