George W. Bush and Laura Bush have a playful set of nicknames for each other that reveal a more lighthearted side of their relationship. During the Tuesday, June 2 episode of TODAY With Jenna & Sheinelle, Jenna Bush Hager shared her parents’ unique way of addressing one another. The conversation was sparked by a passage in Jill Biden’s new memoir, View From the East Wing.
Jill Biden, 74, wrote about an instance where she met with President Bush at the George W. Bush library after speaking to military families. “Laura came in and said, ‘Hey, Bushie,’ then sauntered into the hallway for a cup of coffee as he smiled at her,” she described.
Sheinelle Jones, 48, read the story aloud and remarked on how it sounded like a romantic scene. “That sounded like you were reading a romance!” Jenna, 44, exclaimed.
“That’s how it felt!” Sheinelle insisted. “I was on the beach this weekend, and I went…first of all, I’ve been sitting next to Jenna for how many weeks and months, and you’ve just never [said that].”
“Am I supposed to be like, ‘So my mom and dad call each other ‘Bushie?’” Jenna asked, while Sheinelle answered with a resounding yes.
Jenna Bush Hager Explains Her Parents’ Flirty Nicknames
The 48-year-old wondered how it felt hearing her parents being “flirty” toward one another. “They call each other ‘Bushie.’ My dad loves a nickname. Do you know that my dad called my husband, Henry, before he was even my boyfriend, ‘Stretch,’ because he’s tall?” Jenna recalled. “He called me ‘Benny.’ When they were little, they called each other ‘darling,’ which is very Texas in the ’80s. I can’t remember when ‘Bushie’ became the thing, but they both call each other ‘Bushie.’”
Jenna and Sheinelle dissected Jill’s deliberate word choice in describing how Laura, 79, “sauntered” away from her husband, also 79.
“She’s such a lady…more than I am, she probably is more feminine…” the 44-year-old explained. “[Jill] had a little pin in it when she said ‘You can tell they have a nice romantic relationship’…that was a little spice in this book.”
Sheinelle Jones Thinks Jenna Bush Hager Is ‘Spicy’
Sheinelle revealed that upon reading the book, she realized Jenna got some of her “spiciness” from her mother.
“I’m spicy?” Jenna asked in shock.
“You’re joking. You’ve got to be kidding. You’re joking right?” Sheinelle replied.
“You mean funny…remember we talked about how we don’t think we’re s—?” Jenna remembered.
“Your mama don’t think she’s [s—], but sauntering? A little spicy. You’ve got that all day,” her costar claimed.
“I do? Well, thank you,” Jenna said as the studio audience clapped.
