Jenna Bush Hager weighed in on Joe Biden’s surprising decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race, admitting that it reminded her of her own grandfather, the 41st President of the United States, George HW Bush.
During Monday’s episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna, the mother of three revealed that her grandfather was “devastated” when he “wasn’t chosen” to run for president in 1992.
Referring to a tweet Biden’s granddaughter Naomi posted over the weekend, Jenna, 42, said: “I think even in the depths of our political views, and obviously it’s become a fever pitch, we have to remember that people are human. And that, for her, that’s her grandfather.
“I think he reminds us all of our grandparents. He reminds me a little bit of my grandfather, who I will never forget… when in 1992 he worked so hard and he didn’t get elected and he was devastated.”
Jenna continued: ‘And she wrote a letter to President Clinton, which circulated on the Internet, but basically the end of it was: ‘You are my president and I am supporting you today.’
Jenna Bush Hager revealed that her grandfather George HW Bush was “devastated” when he was not elected in 1992
Jenna said President Joe Biden reminds her of her late grandfather, who passed away in November 2018.
“I just hope that we can get back as a country to a point where we say, ‘Yes, he’s a human being and it must have been a very difficult decision. ‘ And a decision that his family probably helped and supported, but they’re also sad and that’s understandable.”
Jenna reiterated her point and recalled the moment she met Biden and his family.
“I think it’s very interesting because we’ve become such a divided country when it comes to politics, it’s hard to think sometimes, ‘My God, he’s a human being,’ and because I’ve spent some time with his grandchildren, I was able to interview them when he was first elected and I was able to spend some time with him…” she said.
‘You know, my mom wasn’t part of the same political party and yet he invited us all to the White House and we drove around and he showed our daughters around and of course Poppy said, “Can I see the pool?”‘ Jenna added as Hoda, 59, laughed.
Referring to Biden’s resignation, Jenna said: “Also, I don’t know, but I guess it was a tough decision, right? Because a lot of one-term presidents feel like they haven’t done their job.”
‘And yet he made the decision and said in his statement… because it was the best thing for the country and that’s so admirable… I mean, don’t we want… I want my children to put others before themselves?’
Mother-of-two Hoda agreed, saying, “There have been a lot of life lessons in all of this over the last few days,” with Jenna adding, “And interesting things to talk about with our kids.”
Hoda continued: “I think there’s one place that most people would rather live, and that’s a place where we’re kind and accepting and we can have a different opinion and still break bread and we can have something we don’t agree with and still not be afraid to have a family reunion.”
George HW Bush photographed in November 1992 with another former president, Bill Clinton
Biden, 81, has endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to succeed him as the Democratic candidate to face Donald Trump in November.
On Sunday, Biden ended his campaign when the oldest president in US history admitted that it was “in the best interest of the country” for him not to seek re-election for a second term.
Biden, 81, has endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to succeed him as the Democratic nominee to take on Donald Trump in November, saying she will be the one to “unite” the party.
The president had faced an increasingly frenzied clamor to resign after a disastrous debate performance against Trump last month.
Biden announced his momentous decision in a one-page letter posted on social media, in which he pledged to remain in office until the end of his term in January.
However, Republicans called on him to resign immediately, arguing that if he is “unfit to run,” then he is “unfit to serve.”
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