March 08, 2002
Senator Fred Thompson has served the people of Tennessee with honor, distinction, and class. He has worked tirelessly for Tennessee's interests, as well as for the
national interest. While I will miss Fred's service in the Senate, I wish him all the best and will always call him a friend.
George W. Bush, Statement on Senator Fred Thompson's Decision Not To Seek Reelection Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/214013