Donald Trump described former president George H.W. Bush as a “wonderful man” and said he spoke by phone with former president George W. Bush and Jeb Bush to express his “deepest sympathies.”

In brief remarks at the G-20 summit in Argentina, Trump praised the former president that he has clashed with while in office and said he had cancelled a scheduled a press conference here out of respect for the Bush family. Some believe Trump cancelled the press conference so he wouldn’t have to answer questions abut Michael Cohen.

“He was a very fine man,” Trump said of Bush, who died Friday night in Houston at the age of 94. “He led a full life, and a very exemplary life, too.”

Trump is meeting with world leaders at the G-20 summit, but the second day of the trip was likely to be overshadowed by Bush’s death. Trump was holding a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, his first public appearance on Saturday, when he made the remarks about Bush.

A reporter then asked whether he regretted past criticism of both Bush and the extended Bush family.

“Thank you very much, everybody,” he responded.

During a campaign rally in Montana this summer Trump criticized the “thousand points of lights” phrase coined by Bush during his 1988 presidential campaign.

“What the hell was that, by the way, thousand points of light? What did that mean? Does anyone know,” said Trump. “I know one thing: Make America Great Again, we understand. Putting America first, we understand. Thousand points of light, I never quite got that one.”

Trump has ordered flags to fly and half-staff for 30 days and has declared Wednesday, Dec. 5, as a national day of mourning.

WATCH:

REPORTER: Mr President, do you regret any of your comments about George H.W. Bush's family?

TRUMP: "… Thank you very much, everybody." pic.twitter.com/9EYVGXMSsb

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) December 1, 2018