‘An apology to the press at a critical moment’

‘An apology to the press at a critical moment’

President George H. W. Bush wrote a note to ABC's Ann Compton immediately following Saddam Hussein's invasion of Kuwait

“This will not stand, this aggression against Kuwait” has been called the most famous line of George H. W. Bush’s presidency.

 

White House envelope
Ann Compton received a note from President Bush in this envelope. Photo courtesy Ann Compton

ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Ann Compton, a former member of the Miller Center’s Governing Council, was one of several journalists peppering the commander-in-chief with questions on August 5, 1990, after Iraq invaded Kuwait. The next day one of the president's aides handed Compton an envelope. Inside was a personal note from Bush:

Note from President Bush to Ann Compton
Photo courtesy Ann Compton

To Compton, the note spoke volumes about a man who was willing to issue, in her words, “an apology to the press at a critical moment in his presidency.”