This is a list of presidential trips made by George W. Bush during 2008 and January 2009, the eighth and final year of his presidency as the 43rd president of the United States.[1][2] International trips are highlighted in blue.[3]
This list excludes trips made within Washington, D.C., the U.S. federal capital in which the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the president, is located. It also excludes the capital's immediate surroundings in Maryland and Virginia, such as Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, where the president typically boards Air Force One for all trips outside the area. Also excluded are trips to Camp David, the country residence of the president, and to the Bush family's Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford.
January 2008
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | Chicago | January 7 | Spoke about education policy at Horace Greeley Elementary School. Endorsed the Chicago bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Union League Club of Chicago. |
| Israel | Tel Aviv, Jerusalem |
January 9–11 | Met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres. Visited Yad Vashem. |
| Palestinian National Authority | Ramallah, Bethlehem |
January 10 | Met with President Mahmoud Abbas. Visited the Church of the Nativity. |
| Kuwait | Kuwait City, Camp Arifjan |
January 11–12 | Attended Roundtable on Democracy and Development. Met with Gen. David Petraeus and United States Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker. Addressed U.S. military personnel. |
| Bahrain | Manama | January 12–13 | Met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Addressed U.S. military personnel, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the country. |
| United Arab Emirates | Abu Dhabi, Dubai | January 13–14 | Met with President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the country. |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh, Al-Janadriyah |
January 14–16 | Met with King Abdullah. |
| Egypt | Sharm el-Sheikh | January 16 | Met with President Hosni Mubarak. |
| Maryland | Frederick | January 18 | Toured a local business, Wright Manufacturing, Inc. |
| West Virginia | White Sulphur Springs | January 25 | Spoke at a Congress of Tomorrow luncheon at The Greenbrier. |
| Maryland | Baltimore | January 29 | Toured the Episcopal Community Services of Maryland's Jericho Program, an organization supported by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. |
| California | Torrance | January 30 | Toured Robinson Helicopter Company. |
| Nevada | Las Vegas | January 31 | Spoke about international collaboration against terrorism at the Emerald at Queensridge. |
February
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | Kansas City | February 1 | Designated February as American Heart Month in an event at the InterContinental Kansas City Hotel. Toured a Hallmark Cards manufacturing facility. |
| Tennessee | Lafayette | February 8 | Toured damage from the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak that had occurred on February 5. |
| Benin | Porto Novo | February 16 | Met with President Yayi Boni, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the country. |
| Tanzania | Dar es Salaam, Arusha |
February 16–19 | Met with President Jakaya Kikwete. Signed Millenimum Challenge agreement. |
| Rwanda | Kigali | February 19 | Met with President Paul Kagame. Dedicated new U.S. Embassy. |
| Ghana | Accra | February 19–21 | Met with President John Kufuor. |
| Liberia | Monrovia | February 21 | Met with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. |
March
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Nashville | March 11 | Attended the National Religious Broadcasters Convention. |
| Florida | Jacksonville | March 18 | Spoke about international trade at the Blount Island Marine Terminal. |
| Virginia | Sterling | March 26 | Toured a local business, ColorCraft of Virginia. |
| Ohio | Dayton | March 27 | Visited the National Museum of the United States Air Force. |
| New Jersey | Freehold | March 28 | Toured a local mortgage counseling service, Novadebt. |
April
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ukraine | Kyiv | April 1 | Met with President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. |
| Romania | Bucharest | April 2–4 | Attended the NATO Summit Meeting. |
| Croatia | Zagreb | April 4–5 | Met with President Stjepan Mesić. |
| Russia | Sochi | April 5–6 | Met with President Vladimir Putin and President-elect Dmitry Medvedev. |
| Louisiana | New Orleans, Baton Rouge |
April 21–22 | Hosted the North American Leaders' Summit in New Orleans. Viewed the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Endorsed John Kennedy for Senate election in Baton Rouge. |
| Connecticut | Hartford | April 25 | Visited the local Boys & Girls Club to observe World Malaria Day. |
May
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Missouri | Maryland Heights | May 2 | Toured headquarters of World Wide Technology, Inc. |
| Kansas | Greensburg | May 4 | Gave the commencement address at Greensburg High School. |
| Israel | Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Masada |
May 14–16 | Met with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Addressed the Knesset. Attended Israel's 60th anniversary. Visited the Masada fortification site. |
| Saudi Arabia | Riyadh, al-Janadriyah |
May 16–17 | Met with King Abdullah. |
| Egypt | Sharm el-Sheikh | May 17–18 | Met with President Hosni Mubarak, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Afghan president Hamid Karzai and Pakistani prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. Addressed the World Economic Forum. |
| Arizona | Mesa | May 27 | Toured a local business, Silverado Cable Company. |
| Colorado | Colorado Springs | May 28 | Gave the commencement address at the United States Air Force Academy. |
| South Carolina | Greenville | May 31 | Gave the commencement address at Furman University. |
June
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slovenia | Ljubljana | June 9–10 | Met with President Danilo Türk and Prime Minister Janez Janša. Attended the EU-US Summit Meeting. |
| Germany | Meseberg | June 10–11 | Met with Chancellor Angela Merkel. |
| Italy | Rome | June 11–13 | Met with President Giorgio Napolitano and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. |
| Vatican City | Apostolic Palace | June 13 | Met with Pope Benedict XVI. |
| France | Paris | June 13–15 | Met with President Nicolas Sarkozy. Addressed the OECD. Attended wreath-laying ceremonies at the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial and Mémorial de la France combattante. |
| United Kingdom | London, Belfast |
June 15–16 | Met with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Met with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Quartet Representative Tony Blair. In Belfast, met with First Minister Peter Robertson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness. |
| Iowa | Cedar Rapids, Iowa City |
June 19 | Toured the aftermath of the June 2008 Midwest floods. |
| Michigan | Livonia | June 25 | Attended the Max M. Fisher National Republican Leadership Award Dinner. |
July
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | North Little Rock | July 1 | Toured the local Family Service Agency. |
| Virginia | Charlottesville | July 4 | Attended a naturalization ceremony at Monticello for Independence Day. |
| Japan | Tōyako | July 6–9 | Attended the 34th G8 summit. Met with Tanzanian president Kikwete, Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese president Hu Jintao and South Korean president Lee Myung-bak. |
| California | Redding | July 17 | Toured damage from the 2008 California wildfires. |
| Texas | Houston | July 18 | Campaigned for Pete Olson for House of Representatives election. |
| Ohio | Euclid | July 29 | Toured a local business, Lincoln Electric Company. |
| West Virginia | White Sulphur Springs | July 31 | Spoke to the West Virginia Coal Association at The Greenbrier. |
August
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaska | Eielson Air Force Base | August 4 | Spoke to personnel during stopover en route to international trip. |
| South Korea | Seoul | August 5–6 | Met with President Lee Myung-bak. Addressed U.S. military personnel. |
| Thailand | Bangkok | August 6–7 | Met with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. |
| China | Beijing | August 7–11 | Visited Kuanjie Protestant Christian Church. Attended the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. Met with President Hu Jintao and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. |
| Florida | Orlando | August 20 | Attended Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention. |
| Louisiana | New Orleans | August 20 | Spoke at Jackson Barracks on the approximate third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. |
| Mississippi | Gulfport | August 20 | Observed recovery efforts on the approximate third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. |
September
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Austin, Lackland Air Force Base |
September 1 | Visited emergency response facilities during Hurricane Gustav. |
| Louisiana | Baton Rouge | September 3 | Visited emergency response facilities during Hurricane Gustav. |
| Oklahoma | Oklahoma City | September 12 | Discussed health savings accounts and preparations for Hurricane Ike at Presbyterian Health Foundation. |
| Texas | Houston | September 16 | Toured recovery efforts from Hurricane Ike at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base. |
| New York | New York | September 23–24 | Addressed the 63rd United Nations General Assembly. |
October
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Midland, San Antonio |
October 4–6 | Visited George W. Bush Childhood Home. Toured a local San Antonio business, Olmos Pharmacy. |
| Ohio | Cincinnati | October 6 | Spoke to the Cincinnati chapter of the Federalist Society at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. |
| Florida | Coral Gables | October 10 | Met leaders of the local Cuban American community. |
| Michigan | Ada Township | October 15 | Toured a local business, the Schnitz Ada Grill. |
| Louisiana | Alexandria | October 20 | Visited the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce. |
November
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | New York | November 11–13 | Attended rededication of the Intrepid Museum. Addressed the 63rd United Nations General Assembly. Spoke at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. |
| Peru | Lima | November 21–23 | Attended the APEC Summit Meeting. |
| Kentucky | Fort Campbell | November 25 | Spoke to troops two days before Thanksgiving. |
December
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | Greensboro, North Carolina | December 2 | Visited the Mentoring Children of Prisoners Initiative. |
| Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | December 6 | Attended the Army–Navy Game at Lincoln Financial Field. Present for the unveiling of a presidential portrait at the Union League of Philadelphia. |
| New York | West Point | December 9 | Addressed cadets at the United States Military Academy. |
| Texas | College Station | December 12 | Gave the commencement address at Texas A&M University. |
| Iraq | Baghdad | December 14 | Met with President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Signed Strategic Framework and Security Agreements. Visited U.S. military personnel. |
| Afghanistan | Kabul | December 14–15 | Met with President Hamid Karzai. Visited U.S. military personnel. |
| United Kingdom | RAF Mildenhall | December 15 | Stopped during return to Washington, D.C. Met with military personnel.[4] |
| Pennsylvania | Carlisle | December 17 | Addressed cadets at the United States Army War College. |
January 2009
edit| State or country | Areas visited | Dates | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | January 8 | Spoke about the No Child Left Behind Act at General Philip Kearny School. |
| Virginia | Norfolk | January 10 | Attended the commissioning ceremony of the USS George H. W. Bush. |
References
edit- ↑ Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush, 2008–2009, Book I, January 1 to June 30, 2008. United States Government Printing Office, 2012.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - ↑ Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush, 2008–2009, Book II, July 1, 2008 to January 20, 2009. United States Government Printing Office, 2012. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ↑ "Travels of President George W. Bush". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ↑ "Fuels Management Flight breaks refueling record during Presidential visit". US Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces in Africa. December 19, 2008. Retrieved October 10, 2024.