George W Bush among key Republican figures who refused to vote for Donald Trump

Former US president George W Bush is among high-profile Republicans who refused to vote for Donald Trump in the presidential election.

Although he denied accusations made by Rush Limbaugh that he had cast his early-voting ballot for Hillary Clinton, Bush and his wife Laura did not vote for Trump, a Bush spokesperson told The Hill.

Indeed, after Jeb Bush left the presidential race, none of the high-profile members of the Bush family have commented on the election – with neither George W Bush nor his father attending the Republican National Convention this year.

But Trump seemed unconcerned by the fact he had not won the former president's vote, telling CNN: "When I see George Bush do that and, look, I was very critical of him for getting us into Iraq, which was obviously a horrible decision, and getting out the way Obama got us out was a horrible way to get out, too, the combination, I don't think it has any impact, frankly. I think it has no impact."

Trump has struggled to find a foothold among members of the Republican old guard, with many denouncing him in the month before the election following the release of a recording of the GOP nominee making lewd comments about women.

Senator John McCain, who endorsed and then denounced Trump, shared a picture of him and his wife Cindy queuing to vote, but did not say who he was voting for – adding to speculation he also had not voted for the Republican candidate.

McCain suggested last month he would be writing in a vote, telling NBC News: "When Mr Trump attacks women, and demeans the women in our nation and our society, that is a point where I just have to part company.

"I have daughters, I have friends, I have so many wonderful people on my staff. They cannot be degraded and demeaned in that fashion.

"It's not pleasant for me to renounce the nominee of my party," he told the news service. "He won the nomination fair and square."