Quoted:
https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/first-lady-michelle-obama-hugs-former-president-george-w-news-photo-823529934-1539266296.jpg?crop=0.320xw:0.481xh;0.323xw,0.309xh&resize=480:*

Former President George W. Bush on Sunday morning sent his well wishes to President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, both of whom he personally called after their election victory this week.

Bush, 74, said in his Sunday statement that despite his political differences with the Democratic nominees, he hoped for their — and the country's — success.

He also briefly addressed President Donald Trump's evidence-free allegations that the election was stolen from him. Not so said Bush, the last Republican president before Trump, whom Bush congratulated for "a hard-fought campaign."

"The fact that so many of our fellow citizens participated in this election is a positive sign of the health of our democracy and a reminder to the world of its strength," Bush said. "No matter how you voted, your vote counted. President Trump has the right to request recounts and pursue legal challenges, and any unresolved issues will be properly adjudicated. The American people can have confidence that this election was fundamentally fair, its integrity will be upheld, and its outcome is clear."

"He [Trump] earned the votes of more than 70 million Americans — an extraordinary political achievement," Bush said. "They have spoken, and their voices will continue to be heard through elected Republicans at every level of government."

Bush said Sunday morning that he had just recently spoken with Biden, 77, and that he "thanked [Biden] for the patriotic message" in Biden's victory speech Saturday night in Wilmington, Delaware.

https://people.com/politics/election-2020-george-w-bush-called-joe-biden-kamala-harris-to-congratulate-them/