Former President George W. Bush was surprised to learn of the public’s reaction to his friendship with forever first lady Michelle Obama.
During his interview with CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell, Bush discussed his friendship with Mrs. Obama. Their relationship became apparent after the two shared a hug at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington back in 2016.
Despite their opposite political party stances, the two have formed a friendship.
“The big hug, yeah,” Bush said, before adding that the moment between him and the former first lady that “became more famous” was really when they swapped candy at the 2018 funeral of John McCain.
It shocked me,” Bush said of the public reactions to their bond. “We got in the car, and I think Barbara or Jenna said, ‘Hey, you’re trending!’ The American people were so surprised that Michelle Obama and I could be friends.”
“I think it’s a problem that Americans are so polarized in their thinking that they can’t imagine a George W. Bush and a Michelle Obama being friends,” he added.
Mrs. Obama shares the same fondness for Bush and has spoken of their bipartisan bond. In 2019 she told his daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, that they share the same values outside of their political affiliations.
“I had an opportunity to sit by your father at funerals, the highs, and the lows, and we shared stories about our kids and about our parents,” Mrs. Obama told Bush Hager during a Today interview.
“Our values are the same,” the Waffles + Mochi star added of herself and Bush. “We disagree on policy, but we don’t disagree on humanity; we don’t disagree about love and compassion. I think that’s true for all of us — it’s just that we get lost in our fear of what’s different.”
