George W. Bush just laid a major smackdown on Trumpism

(CNN)George W. Bush doesn't talk much about politics in public. Which makes the speech he gave Thursday in New York City -- a point-by-point rejection of Trumpism -- all the more important and noteworthy.

The 43rd president of the United States -- and the last Republican to hold the office before Donald Trump -- didn't mention the 45th president by name in his speech at the George W. Bush Institute. But Trump -- and his views -- were ever-present in the former President's address.
Bush condemned "nationalism distorted into nativism."
He derided "discourse degraded by casual cruelty."
He acknowledged that "our politics seems more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and outright fabrication."

And, most importantly, Bush said that "bigotry seems emboldened."

Bush's speech calling out the uglier parts of Trumpism comes just days after John McCain -- Bush's main opponent in the 2000 GOP presidential primaries -- delivered a similar rebuke, describing the dangers posed by the rise of "half-baked, spurious nationalism." (McCain tweeted Thursday afternoon in praise of Bush's speech; "Important speech by my friend, President George W. Bush today, reminding us of the values that have made America a beacon of hope for all.")

The two speeches, taken together, amount to a verbal lapel-shaking by Bush and McCain of the Republican Party they have led over the past two decades. "Wake up!" Bush and McCain are saying to their party. "What Trump represents is neither Republican nor conservative. It is Trump. Which is fine for Trump but far less fine for the medium-to-long-term health of the Grand Old Party."