Former President George W. Bush said that he “absolutely” forgives Kanye West, whose pre-recorded apology was aired during a live interview promoting Bush’s new book “Decision Points” on the Today Show Wednesday morning.

The Today Show featured an hour-long interview with the former president and NBC’s Matt Lauer. In an interview that aired Monday night, Bush told Lauer the most “disgusting moment” of his presidency came when West made a statement that Bush “doesn’t care about black people.”

“In the moment of my frustration, I didn’t have the grounds to call him a racist,” West said. “But I believe that in a situation of high emotion like that, we as human being don’t always choose the right words.”

Bush accepted the apology, responding that he “is not a hater and I don’t hate Kanye West.”  Instead he used West as an example of the bitter mood rampant throughout the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

West later criticized Lauer for a harsh interview on Twitter, posting, “I don’t mess with Matt Lauer on the Today Show…and that’s a very nice way for me to put it.”

Lauer questioned Bush on his economic record and his tax cuts and attempted to sway Bush into responding to the controversy over the plans to build a Muslim community center blocks away from Ground Zero in Manhattan.

The former president said he had no intentions to be a voice in the controversy, refusing to state his personal opinion. He simply said he believed most Americans are tolerant of all religions and it was a few loud voices contributing to the debate.

When asked about the Bush tax cuts, which are being debated in Congress, Bush argued they were necessary for job growth, and said that under his presidency, the tax cuts allowed for 53 weeks of consecutive job growth in the private sector.

“It’s too bad they call them the Bush tax cuts,” Bush said light heartedly. “They might have a better chance of being extended if they were called the Lauer tax cuts.”

Bush also defended his decision to bail out Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae with taxpayer money while not raising taxes to pay for the two wars under his presidency.

“My fiscal record was strong,” Bush said. “Our debt to GDP was one of the lowest in modern history.”

Regarding his intentions of “Decision Points,” Bush said he did not think about the media when writing the book but rather how history will portray him. In a pre-interview Tuesday night, Bush said he hoped to be viewed as a success.

“After selling this book, I’m heading back underground,” Bush said.

Bush said he plans to continue work on public issues without being political, including working at the Bush Institute at Southern Methodist University.

Reach staff reporter Samantha Yerks here.

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