George W. Bush, Bill Clinton remember John Lewis' message of 'love and hope' in moving eulogies


Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton paid tribute to the late Rep. John Lewis at his funeral service on Thursday with two back-to-back moving eulogies.
Bush was the first of three former presidents to speak at the funeral for the civil rights icon in Atlanta, remembering him as someone who insisted "that hate and fear had to be answered with love and hope" and who was "willing to give up everything" in the fight for "a world of peace and justice."
The 43rd president noted that he and Lewis sometimes disagreed, but he observed that "in the America John Lewis fought for, and the America I believe in, differences of opinion are inevitable elements and evidence of democracy in action." Bush concluded that because of Lewis, "we live in a better and nobler country today," and he will "live forever in the hearts of Americans."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

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.
Clinton followed Bush in honoring Lewis, praising the late congressmember for fighting to "open the doors of America to all its people" and for his "uncanny ability to heal troubled waters."
"When he could have been angry and determined to cancel his adversaries, he tried to get converts instead," Clinton said. "He thought the opened hand was better than the clenched fist."
Clinton said he "just loved" Lewis and "always will," and described Lewis' posthumous essay published in The New York Times ahead of the funeral as his final "marching orders" for America, suggesting "we salute, suit up, and march on." Brendan Morrow
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
September 14 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday’s political cartoons include RFK Jr on the hook, the destruction of discourse, and more
-
Air strikes in the Caribbean: Trump’s murky narco-war
Talking Point Drug cartels ‘don’t follow Marquess of Queensberry Rules’, but US military air strikes on speedboats rely on strained interpretation of ‘invasion’
-
Crossword: September 14, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants