Jenna Bush Hager has weighed in on Joe Biden’s shock decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race and admitted that it reminded her of her own grandfather, the 41st President of the United States, George H. W. Bush.
During Monday’s episode of Today with Hoda & Jenna, the mother-of-three revealed that her granddad was ‘crushed’ when ‘he wasn’t elected’ to run for President back in 1992.
Referring to a tweet that Biden’s granddaughter Naomi posted over the weekend, Jenna, 42, said: ‘I think even in the depths of us having these political opinions and obviously, it has come to a fever, we’ve got to remember that people are human. And that, to her, that’s her grandpa.
‘I think he kind of reminds everybody of their grandpa. He reminds me a little bit of my grandfather, who I’ll never forget… when in 1992 he worked so hard and he wasn’t elected and he was crushed.’
Jenna continued: ‘And he wrote a letter to President Clinton, which went around on the internet, but basically, the end of it was, “You are my President and today I’m rooting for you.”
Jenna Bush Hager has revealed her grandfather George H. W. Bush was ‘crushed’ when he wasn’t elected in 1992
Jenna said that President Joe Biden reminds her of her late grandfather, who passed away in November 2018
‘So I just hope that we can get back as a country to a place where it’s like, “Oh yeah, he’s a human being and this must have been a really difficult decision.” And one in which his family helped probably support, but also are sad about and that is understandable.’
Jenna reiterated her point and recalled the time she met Biden and his family.
‘I think it’s so interesting because we’ve become a country that is so divided about politics, that sometimes it’s hard to think, “Oh my gosh, he’s a human,” and because I have spent some time with his grandchildren, I got to interview them when he was first elected and I got to spend some time with him…,’ she said.
‘You know, my mom was not part of the same political party and yet, he invited all of us to the White House and we drove up and he showed our girls around and, of course, Poppy was like, “Can I see the pool?”‘ Jenna added as Hoda, 59, laughed.
Referring to Biden stepping down, Jenna said: ‘Also, I don’t know, but I assume this was a hard decision, right? Because a lot of one-term Presidents don’t feel like the job has been done.
‘And yet he made the choice and he said in his statement… because it was the best for the country and that’s such an admirable… I mean, don’t we want… I want my kids to put others in front of themselves.’
Mother-of-two Hoda agreed and claimed: ‘A lot of life lessons in all of this these past few days,’ as Jenna added: ‘And interesting things to talk about with our kids.’
Hoda then continued: ‘I think there’s a place where most people would rather live, and that’s sort of in a place where we are kind and tolerant and we can have a different opinion and still break bread and we can have something we don’t agree with and still not dread having a family reunion.’
George H. W. Bush pictured in November 1992 with another former president, Bill Clinton
Biden, 81, has endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to succeed him as the Democratic nominee to take on Donald Trump in November
On Sunday, Biden ended his campaign as America’s oldest ever president admitted it was in the ‘best interests of the country’ for him not to seek re-election for a second term.
Biden, 81, endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to succeed him as the Democratic nominee to take on Donald Trump in November, as she said she would be the one to ‘unite’ the party.
The President had faced an increasingly frenzied clamor to step aside after a disastrous debate performance against Trump last month.
Biden announced his seismic decision in a one-page letter posted on social media. In it he committed to serving until the end of this term in January.
However, Republicans called on him to resign immediately, arguing that if he is not ‘fit to run’ then he is ‘not fit to serve.’