In news that will shock most people, it appears that Bono and George W. Bush are friends. Yes, you read that correctly. Both gentleman shared a photo of them hanging out at Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas, and the internet was buzzing.
Bono was in Texas for a sold-out show at nearby Richardson with his band U2, so he stopped in to see his friend at Prairie Chapel Ranch. So, what has caused this unlikely friendship? As Billboard stated, they have both made it their mission to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic that has been happening globally and save lives in Africa.
There was nothing but love coming from both Bush and Bono, as they both shared a photo of them sharing some time together on the ranch. Bush shared the photo on his personal Instagram account and had some kind words to say about Bono and the work he has done with ONE.
“Bono is the real deal. He has a huge heart and a selfless soul, not to mention a decent voice. @laurawbush and I are grateful he came to the ranch to talk about the work of @thebushcenter, @onecampaign, @PEPFAR, and our shared commitment to saving lives in Africa.”
Bush was not the only one sharing the love, as Bono went to the ONE Instagram account and praised Bush for his hard word also.
“More than 11 million people are alive today thanks to this man’s creation of PEPFAR, the U.S. AIDS program that has been saving lives and preventing new HIV infections for over 10 years, with strong support from political leaders right, left, and center.”
This also gave Bono the opportunity to address issues with the current administration. Trump’s budget plan is calling for massive cuts to a lot of different programs, especially anti-poverty programs. This is something that scares many people in our own country, but also around the world. While sharing his photo with Bush, Bono also commented on these budget cuts.
“That progress is all at risk now with President Trump’s budget cuts, which will mean needless infections and lives lost.”
It is an unlikely friendship, but one that was found with similar interests at heart. Bush created PEPFAR back in 2003, while still in office, and Bono co-founded the ONE Campaign in 2004. The 43rd President of the United States wrote an op-ed for The Washington Post last month and commented on all the hard work and great things that PEPFAR has done.
In the article, Bush said that in the 15 years since PEPFAR launched, “the program has achieved remarkable results in the fight against disease.” Not only that, but PEPFAR has worked to see that “nearly 12 million lives have been saved.” This is the real kicker, as Bush wrote that “nearly 2 million babies have been born HIV-free to infected mothers.”
Bush also took the time to address Trump’s budget and funding programs like PEPFAR. After 15 years of working on stopping the AIDS epidemic, you can’t cut it off now, as Bush wrote.
“Some will argue that we have enough problems at home and shouldn’t spend money overseas. I argue that we shouldn’t spend money on programs that don’t work, whether at home or abroad. But they should fully fund programs that have proven to be efficient, effective and results-oriented. Saving nearly 12 million lives is proof that PEPFAR works, and I urge our government to fully fund it.”
We shall see how Trump’s budget pans out, but it is great to see Bush and Bono working together on such a huge issue. And becoming friends along the way.
[Featured Image by Andrew Chin/Getty Images]