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In a wide-ranging interview that shied away from directly criticizing the current commander in chief, former President George W. Bush said it's critical for the media to hold accountable “people who abuse their power." He also said he favored an immigration policy that was more "welcoming.""I consider the media to be indispensable to democracy. We needed the media to hold people like me to account," Bush told TODAY in an exclusive interview. "Power can be very addictive and it can be corrosive, and it’s important for the media to call to account people who abuse their power."Bush was asked about the media's role in light of President Donald Trump's recent characterization of the media as "enemies of America." He noted he spent a lot of time during his two terms trying to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin to embrace an independent press.RELATED: Chuck Todd: John McCain is concerned Donald Trump ‘crossed the line’ about media"It’s kind of hard to tell others to have an independent free press when we’re not willing to have one ourselves," he said.Bush, the last Republican to occupy the White House before Trump, also was asked about President Trump's controversial executive order that banned immigrants from mostly predominantly Muslim nations."I am for an immigration policy that is welcoming and upholds the law," he said when asked if he favored or opposed the policy.Bush won the 2000 presidential election after one of the most contentious and controversial decisions in American history. He took office after a divided Supreme Court ruled over a dispute involving a contested recount in Florida.Bush will return later in the show to discuss his new book, "Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors," a collection of portraits of some of the military veterans he has met.Proceeds of the book will be donated to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, a non-profit organization that helps post-Sept. 11 veterans and their families make successful transitions to civilian life.The portraits are also currently on display as part of an exhibition at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.http://www.today.com/news/george-w-bu...http://www.wochit.comThis video was produced by YT Wochit News using http://wochit.com

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