George W Bush denounces new era of US isolationism

Former US president George W Bush called Thursday for the United States to push for democracy around the world and resist the temptation to turn inward.

The rare public remarks by the former president seemed to take direct aim at President Donald Trump's America First policies, but without ever actually naming the current occupant of the White House.

"We have seen the return of isolationist sentiments - forgetting that American security is directly threatened by the chaos and despair of distant places, where threats such as terrorism, infectious disease, criminal gangs and drug trafficking tend to emerge," Bush said in a speech hosted by his institute in New York.

"In all these ways, we need to recall and recover our own identity. Americans have a great advantage: To renew our country, we only need to remember our values."

Bush denounced "nationalism distorted into nativism" and stressed the importance of immigration to the United States. Trump has sought to restrict immigration, pushing for a wall along the US Mexican border and calling for other restrictions.

He also pushed back against Russian interference in the US presidential election, calling it a "sustained attempt by a hostile power to feed and exploit our country's divisions" and said such attacks should not be tolerated.

Trump has downplayed the Russian efforts.