George W. Bush's Dig At Daughter Jenna's Career Paints A Toxic Picture Of Their Relationship
It's no secret that the Bush twins live very different lives than their famous dad. But, surely George W. Bush still respects the careers his successful daughters have built, right? Maybe not. Jenna Bush Hager has revealed her dad's opinion of her talk show "Today with Jenna & Friends," and it may hint at some surprising family tension.
Rotating celeb cohosts join Jenna at her "Today with Jenna & Friends" table. So, it's only natural to wonder if her dad will one day appear on the show. On November 19 on "Today," Jenna explained why she thinks he'd turn down an invite to be a guest cohost. "I'm sure he'll still say no. He says things like, 'I don't watch your dumb show,'" she explained, per Page Six. The cohosts laughed at the bluntness of Jenna's statement, and Carson Daly even defused the situation, joking, "That's why we love him!" Jenna added, "I've actually asked him, and maybe I'll do a public ask for him to come and be a 'friend' since he's my father." Of course, Jenna's casual, comedic demeanor is one of the things that makes her such a likable talk show host. Yet, it was hard to simply take this statement as a joke. Instead, it seemed like a surprisingly hurtful way for Jenna's own father to talk about her accomplishments.
Jenna often turns to her dad to talk about the show
This isn't the first time Jenna Bush Hager has talked about George W. Bush's thoughts on her show. "Today with Jenna & Friends" was previously called "Today with Hoda & Jenna," and Jenna hosted alongside journalist Hoda Kotb. Jenna replaced Kotb's former cohost Kathie Lee Gifford in 2019, and the pair worked together until Kotb's 2024 departure. While discussing that Kotb would be leaving the NBC show during a September 2024 episode, Jenna recalled how her dad reacted when she first landed the gig. "I called my dad when I started. He said, 'I'm so happy for you — and Hoda's the star. You're gonna be okay with that, right? You're gonna be okay with sharing the spotlight with the star?'" (via the New York Post). She explained that she called her dad to talk about Kotb's choice to leave the show, too. "I called him last night. First, he thought something really awful [happened], like a lost loved one, because of how emotional I was," she explained, adding, "And he said, 'Oh, she's leaving cause it's time and you're gonna be fine. It's your turn. It's okay.'"
Based on Jenna's past statements, it doesn't sound like George has been entirely unsupportive of her time as a "Today" show host. So, hopefully labeling Jenna's show as "dumb" was more playful than serious. Whether he actually decides to be a guest cohost after her public request will probably be a good indication.