The five former living presidents of the United States gathered together on Saturday night to raise funds for hurricane recovery efforts, The New York Times says. Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George Bush and Jimmy Carter attended the “Deep From the Heart” concert in Texas to promote awareness for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria relief funds.
The presidents previously came together in an One America Appeal video earlier this fall, calling for Americans to come together and donate to the less fortunate.
At the concert in College Station, Tex., the five men and their audience first watched a recorded message from President Donald Trump, who noted the three devastating hurricanes that hit the States in the past few months. He also recognized the impacts of Hurricane Nate and the Californian wildfires.
“In the aftermath of these terrible storms, the American people have done what we do best,” Trump said in the video. “We came together, we helped one another and, through it all, we remained resilient.”
All but the elder Bush spoke to the crowd, with Carter and Clinton thanking Americans for their volunteerism. Carter announced plans for his organization Habitat for Humanity to build 6,000 homes in devastated areas, and Clinton reminded that everyone, even former presidents, is merely an American citizen.
“We were all citizens, even us before we were politicians,” he said. “And even when our time was up, we became citizens again…there is still work to be done in Texas and Florida, and our friends in Puerto Rico and the American Virgin Islands have only begun to dig their way out of…a calamitous disaster.”
Obama singled out the Texas-based Bushes for their work, while George W. Bush asked viewers to donate. He also praised his father, who has battled poor health in the past year, saying, “We really admire and love George H.W. Bush.”
According to PEOPLE, the concert included performances from Sam Moore, Yolanda Evans, Lyle Lovett and special guest Lady Gaga. Gaga later shared a photo of herself with the presidents on Twitter, saying, “Nothing more beautiful than everyone putting their differences aside to help humanity in the face of catastrophe.”
Nothing more beautiful than everyone putting their differences aside to help humanity in the face of catastrophe. #OneAmericaAppeal pic.twitter.com/2TPdPonvWv
— xoxo, Gaga (@ladygaga) October 22, 2017
In a time of great political divide, it’s refreshing to see the country’s past leaders come together for a bigger cause regardless of their political affiliations.