Former Presidents from right, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter place their hands on their chest for the national anthem on stage at the opening of a hurricanes relief concert in College Station, Texas, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2017. All five living former U.S. presidents joined to support a Texas concert raising money for relief efforts from Hurricane Harvey, Irma and Maria鈥檚 devastation in Texas, Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
AUSTIN, Texas 鈥� The five living former presidents put aside politics and appeared together for the first time since 2013 at a concert on Saturday to raise money for victims of devastating hurricanes in Texas, Florida, Louisiana, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Democrats Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter and Republicans George H.W. and George W. Bush gathered in College Station, Texas, home of Texas A&M University, to try to unite the country after the storms.
Texas A&M is home to the presidential library of the elder Bush. At 93, he has a form of Parkinson鈥檚 disease and appeared in a wheelchair at the event. His wife, Barbara, and George W. Bush鈥檚 wife, Laura, were in the audience.
Grammy award winner Lady Gaga made a surprise appearance at the concert that also featured country music band Alabama, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer 鈥楽oul Man鈥� Sam Moore, gospel legend Yolanda Adams and Texas musicians Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen.
The appeal backed by the ex-presidents has raised $31 million since it began on Sept. 7, said Jim McGrath, spokesman for George H.W. Bush.
President Donald Trump offered a video greeting that avoided his past criticism of the former presidents and called them 鈥渟ome of America鈥檚 finest public servants.鈥�
鈥淭his wonderful effort reminds us that we truly are one nation under God, all unified by our values and devotion to one another,鈥� Trump said in the greeting, played during the concert.
Four of the five former presidents 鈥� Obama, George W. Bush, Carter and Clinton 鈥� made brief remarks that did not mention Trump. The elder Bush did not speak but smiled and waved to the crowd. They appealed for national unity to help those hurt by the hurricanes.
鈥淭he heart of America, without regard to race or religion or political party, is greater than our problems,鈥� said Clinton.
The last time the five were together was in 2013, when Obama was still in office, at the dedication of George W. Bush鈥檚 presidential library in Dallas.
There is precedent for former presidents joining forces for post-disaster fundraising. George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton raised money together after the 2004 South Asia tsunami and Hurricane Katrina the next year. Clinton and George W. Bush combined to seek donations after Haiti鈥檚 2011 earthquake.
鈥淚t鈥檚 certainly a triple, if not a home run, every time,鈥� said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston. 鈥淧residents have the most powerful and prolific fundraising base of any politician in the world. When they send out a call for help, especially on something that鈥檚 not political, they can rake in big money.鈥�
Amid criticism that his administration was initially slow to aid ravaged Puerto Rico, Trump accused island leaders of 鈥減oor leadership,鈥� and later tweeted that, 鈥淓lectric and all infrastructure was disaster before hurricanes鈥� while saying that Federal Emergency Management Agency, first-responders and military personnel wouldn鈥檛 be able to stay there forever.
But Rottinghaus said ex-presidents are seen as less polarizing than the current president.
鈥淭hey can鈥檛 get away from the politics of the moment,鈥� he said of current White House occupants. 鈥淓x-presidents are able to step back and be seen as the nation鈥檚 grandfather.鈥�
Hurricane Harvey slammed into Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast as a Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 25, unleashing historic flooding in Houston and killing more than 80 people. Shortly thereafter, all five ex-presidents appeared in a commercial for a fundraising effort known as 鈥淥ne America Appeal.鈥� In it, George W. Bush says, 鈥淧eople are hurting down here.鈥� His father, George H.W. Bush, then replies, 鈥淲e love you, Texas.鈥�
Hurricane Irma subsequently hit Florida and Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico, while both devastated the U.S. Virgin Islands.
A website accepting donations, OneAmericaAppeal.org, was created with 100 percent of proceeds pledged to hurricane relief.