The report describes a "shadow Republican Party... lying in wait to take over when Trump is gone," leveraging the Bush family’s longstanding national political network. While Bush has refrained from publicly criticizing Trump—a decision that has frustrated some former aides—the outlet suggests he may be open to quietly influencing the party’s future direction.
A former Bush official told the Daily Mail that Trump "knows that there’s no third term option," acknowledging that Vice President JD Vance "has a head start" among likely 2028 Republican presidential hopefuls. The official predicted a "big open field" for the GOP nomination once Trump exits the scene.
Former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has reportedly urged Bush to become more active in shaping the party, arguing that the former president has "a voice that would resonate with a lot more Americans," according to the outlet.