Bush, Obama Push ‘Friendship’ With Hidden Digs at Trump
Former President George W. Bush is revisiting one of the most talked-about—and widely shared—moments of his post-presidency: a lighthearted exchange with former First Lady Michelle Obama that captured national attention.
Speaking during a conversation with his daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, at a History Channel-sponsored “History Talks” event marking America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, Bush reflected on the now-viral moment from the 2018 funeral of Senator John McCain.
“I get a little antsy, as I’m sure you know, and I was sitting next to Michelle. That’s who I sit next to at funerals,” Bush said. “And I was kind of teasing her and stuff, and I slipped her an Altoid. Not as a joke, but I thought she might want one.”
The candid gesture—caught on camera—quickly spread across social media, surprising many Americans accustomed to sharp partisan divides. Bush admitted he initially didn’t understand the reaction.
“And I got in the car afterwards, and you said, ‘You’re trending,’” he told his daughter. “I didn’t know what trending meant.”
According to Bush, the public’s fascination with the moment revealed something deeper about the current political climate.
“It turns out, the country is starved to see a white, center-right Republican and an African American center-left Democrat having fun and being able to converse, not as political figures but as citizens,” Bush added. “And I intend to continue to try to do that.”
The unexpected friendship between Bush and Obama has been highlighted before. In a 2021 interview, Bush said he was “shocked” that Americans were surprised the two could get along.
For her part, Obama has emphasized that personal connection can transcend politics. In a 2019 interview, she told Hager: “We disagree on policy, but we don’t disagree on humanity, we don’t disagree about love and compassion.” She added, “I think that’s true for all of us — it’s just that we get lost in our fear of what’s different.”
Their rapport became especially visible during a series of public events, including the funeral of George H. W. Bush, where Obama even adjusted her schedule to attend. It was there that Bush continued what became a running joke—passing her another piece of candy.
Obama has previously joked about the mysterious treat, recalling, “That’s the funny thing, because they were in the little White House box, and I was like, ‘How long have you had these?’ And he said, ‘A long time, we got a lot of these!’” She later added that such moments are “what people are hungry for.”
“Party doesn’t separate us,” she said. “Color, gender — those kinds of things don’t separate us. It’s the message that we send.”
Still, the renewed attention to their friendly dynamic comes with important context. During the 2008 presidential campaign, former President Barack Obama sharply criticized Bush’s record, blaming his administration for economic instability and foreign policy setbacks.
Obama famously declared during that campaign, “America, we are better than these last eight years,” underscoring the deep policy divides that once defined their political relationship.
Today, however, Bush’s reflections highlight a different message—one focused on restoring a sense of civility in public life, even as ideological differences remain firmly in place.