Jenna Bush Hager says she’s still trying — unsuccessfully — to get her dad, former President George W. Bush, to appear on her show Today with Jenna & Friends.
Since Hoda Kotb stepped away in January, Bush Hager, 43, has welcomed more than 58 different guest co-host “friends.” But on Wednesday, Nov. 19, the Today anchors pointed out that one familiar face has yet to join her on set: her father.
The conversation came up as they discussed Bush’s recent appearance on Peyton and Eli Manning’s ManningCast. For the rare TV moment, the 79-year-old former president Zoomed in from his art studio on Monday, Nov. 17, to chat with the former NFL stars.
“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,” Bush Hager said with a hint of exasperated humor.
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When her co-hosts observed that the former president doesn’t do much television anymore, she replied, “Well, he said he was retired so I was as surprised as anyone to see him on Monday night.”
Savannah Guthrie noted that logging on from home for ManningCast is a lot easier than flying to New York City to appear on Today with Jenna & Friends.
“Why don’t you go to Texas and do the show from there?” Al Roker suggested. Bush Hager joked that she wasn’t sure the show’s budget could stretch that far.
“I feel like for a former president we could find it,” Craig Melvin chimed in.
Bush Hager then invited Roker to come along if they ever took the show to Texas, and he agreed. Still, she admitted she doesn’t expect her dad to change his mind anytime soon.
“Okay, I’m sure he’ll still say no,” she said. “He says things like, ‘I don’t watch your dumb show.’ ”
The remark sent the Today team into laughter. Carson Daly added, “That’s why we love him!”
Even without her dad as a guest “friend,” Bush Hager has had plenty of family support on the show. Her husband Henry Hager, her twin sister Barbara Bush Pierce, and several cousins have all appeared as co-hosts.
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Her mother, former first lady Laura Bush, joined her and Bush Pierce for a special interview in March as well.
The former president has participated in several Today moments over the years, even if he hasn’t yet sat beside his daughter on her current segment. He previously appeared for an interview with Bush Hager and Kathie Lee Gifford, and in 2018, she interviewed both her father and grandfather, former President George H. W. Bush, for the show. In 2021, he joined Today with Hoda & Jenna for a special immigration-focused segment.
“Mom and I are very proud of your independent views,” he told his daughter at the time. “You take time to understand issues, and you’re not afraid to speak your mind.”
