President Donald Trump paid his respects to former President George H.W. Bush in the U.S. Capitol rotunda late Monday evening, accompanied by his wife First Lady Melania Trump.
Trump and Melania entered the Capitol rotunda for approximately 2 minutes Wednesday, circling the casket of the former president and staying silent for one minute. Trump saluted Bush’s casket as commander-in-chief while his wife covered her heart with her hand, observing the proper flag protocol for a civilian.
H.W. Bush’s casket will lie in state within the Capitol Rotunda until Wednesday atop the same platform used as far back as the funeral of former President Abraham Lincoln. Bush’s casket was placed within the Capitol Monday afternoon in an extensive ceremony featuring speeches from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan, and Vice President Mike Pence. (RELATED: Here’s A Look Back At George H.W. Bush’s Life In Pictures)
Bush’s children sat around the casket during the ceremony, including former President George W. Bush and Governor Jeb Bush.