The Affair Rumors That Haunted George W. Bush's Father For Years

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Numerous high-profile politicians, up to and including U.S. presidents, have had their careers at least partially defined by their confirmed or alleged extramarital affairs. Bill Clinton's affair with Monica Lewinsky resulted in an impeachment, Donald Trump was convicted of 34 felony counts related to hush-money payments he made to adult film star Stormy Daniels to cover up an alleged adulterous encounter, and John F. Kennedy's supposed entanglement with famous mistress Marilyn Monroe fast became fodder for modern pop culture jokes. However, one affair scandal that tends not to be brought up as often these days involved President George H. W. Bush, the father of fellow President George W. Bush. And there are a few potential reasons for that. 

As one Reddit user opined in a 2025 thread on the matter, "Crazy how certain people pass this off as something that definitively happened when there is no concrete proof it happened. No, hearsay and speculation are not proof." But whether they're true or not, the rumors still haunted Bush Sr. and his family for quite a while. In the 1980s, whispers began circulating that the elder George had an affair with Jennifer Fitzgerald, who had worked as his aide for several years — including during Bush Snr.'s time serving as VP under President Ronald Reagan. 

The story gained increased traction in 1992, after being offhandedly mentioned in Susan B. Trento's book, "The Power House." After it came out, Bush Sr. himself was quick to deny any infidelity in his marriage. "It's a lie," the then-president told a CNN journalist firmly when asked about the speculation that August (via the Los Angeles Times). Interestingly enough, Clinton, who ran against George Sr. in the 1992 election, actually backed his opponent on this front.

Author Susan Page explored the affair rumors surrounding George H. W. Bush and Jennifer Fitzgerald in "The Matriarch," her 2019 biography about the former president's wife, Barbara Bush. In the book, Page confirmed that the allegations marred both George Sr.'s ultimately-successful campaign for office in 1988 and his subsequent, unsuccessful bid for re-election in 1992. However, the author also pointed out that he wasn't the only one to strongly deny the rumors, with both Fitzgerald and Barbara doing so as well. And yet, despite denials from all concerned, not everybody is convinced nothing happened between George Sr. and Fitzgerald. 

Page interviewed Barbara for her biography, and the former first lady opened up about her struggles with depression and suicidal thoughts, which started after her husband was made head of the CIA by President Gerald Ford. Notably, this was shortly after Fitzgerald began working for George Sr. Many of Page's sources with ties to Barbara speculated that the president's longtime aide may have played a role in the former first lady's mental-health difficulties, as well. One individual who firmly believes the affair happened is none other than Sharon Bush. 

George Sr. and Barbara's former daughter-in-law's own marriage to their son, Neil Bush, notably ended in divorce following alleged infidelity on his part. "I would have thought [Barbara] would have been more empathetic, having gone through that herself," Sharon asserted to People in 2019, referencing how she had been iced out of the famous family following her split from Neil. And yet, while Sharon certainly has her own personal opinion on the matter, any hard evidence remains elusive.

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