Jenna Bush, host of the 'Jenna and Friends' show on the American 'Today' channel, stated that viewers may not see her father, former President George W. Bush, on her morning talk show anytime soon.
Since her co-host left the 'Today' show last January, Jenna has hosted a series of episodes with rotating guests. Meanwhile, former President George Bush (79) recently appeared on the 'Manningcast' show on NBC. Despite his brief appearance via Zoom, he has not yet joined his daughter's show as a guest.
Jenna said the other day: 'I have already asked him, and perhaps I will publicly ask him to come and be a (friend), because he is my father.' The show's hosts pointed out that Bush rarely appears on television, to which the 'Today' channel replied: 'Well, he said he is retired, so we were as surprised as anyone else to see him on 'Manningcast'.'
Jenna's colleague at the channel, Savannah Guthrie, said that Bush did not have to leave his home in Texas to appear on 'Manningcast,' but appearing on his daughter's show would require traveling to New York City. One commentator asked, 'Why doesn't Jenna go to Texas and host the show from there?' Jenna responded that she doesn't think 'Jenna and Friends' has that kind of budget, saying, 'I think for a former president, we could find a solution.' She added, 'Well, I'm sure he will still say no. He says things like, 'I don't watch your silly show.''
Although Bush is reluctant to appear on NBC shows, many of his family members have joined them in the past. Jenna's husband, Henry Hager, her twin sister Barbara Bush, and several of their cousins have all been on the show. Last March, former First Lady Laura Bush joined her daughter Barbara for a special segment. In 2018, Jenna also interviewed her father and grandfather on the 'Today' show.
In 2021, President Bush appeared on 'Jenna and Friends' during a segment on immigration. During the broadcast, he told his daughter, 'Your mother and I are very proud of your independent views. You take the time to understand the issues and are not afraid to express your opinion.'
Jenna has not hesitated to share her family's conversations with the public over the years. In October, she recounted a story of a Christmas Eve dinner at the Bush family home that made her 79-year-old mother cry. At the time, she said: 'Dad was yelling in our faces, we couldn't believe it. We looked at him, and he said, 'Your mom is going through a tough time, go apologize to her.'
