Jenna Bush Hager is continuing to speak openly about what it was like to grow up as the child of a U.S. president, and her latest account reveals just how heavy that burden can be. The “Today” show co-host’s candid reflections illuminate how the intersection of teenage rebellion and presidential politics created a storm that forever changed how the Bush family navigated public life.
Bush Hager’s recent comments came while responding to Ashley Hicks, whose viral TikTok videos about growing up as the daughter of a Secret Service agent have captured widespread attention.
Hicks shared stories about her strict upbringing, including how her father could instantly detect she had been drinking despite her attempts to mask it with gum. Bush Hager found common ground with Hicks, joking that she, too, “couldn’t get away with much because I was followed by men with fanny packs that were concealing things.”
The exchange reminded many of Bush Hager’s own struggles with living under constant surveillance, particularly the scandal that unfolded in the spring of 2001, just months after President Bush took office.
The former first daughter faced two alcohol-related misdemeanors within five weeks while attending the University of Texas at Austin. The first charge came in April for possession of alcohol under age 21, followed by another in May for attempting to use a fake ID. Her twin sister Barbara was also caught up in the second incident, creating a media frenzy that painted the Bush twins as out-of-control party girls.
During a conversation on “Today with Hoda & Jenna” in 2020, Bush Hager opened up about a lesson her dad shared that helped her navigate her way.
“(My sister) Barbara and I … were like 19 and a half, maybe 20, close enough but not allowed (to drink),” she shared.
Adding, “The fact that we thought we could do that just speaks to how (our parents) were like, ‘Oh, you can be normal, it’s OK.’”
What happened next revealed the depth of Bush’s understanding of his daughters’ impossible situation. Rather than lecturing his daughter about responsibility, he turned the conversation on its head with an apology that caught her completely off guard.
“When I called my dad to say, ‘I’m really sorry’ … he said, ‘No, I’m sorry.’ We did embarrass our parents, but they never would say that,” she recalled. “He said, ‘I’m sorry, I told you that you can be normal, and you can’t. You can’t order margaritas.’”
Bush Hager noted that her father never called her out for bringing shame to the family, even though “we embarrassed them, although they never said it, on the world stage.”
The challenges of White House life extend far beyond the Bush family’s experience.
Michelle Obama has shared similar struggles in raising Malia and Sasha under the watchful eye of the Secret Service. When Malia attended her 2015 prom, what should have been a simple teenage milestone required elaborate security protocols. Her date had to enter through the diplomatic entrance reserved for heads of state, undergo multiple inspections, and pick up the president’s daughter from the South Lawn, all while three black SUVs filled with Secret Service agents followed them to the dance.
Bush Hager’s own relationship with public scrutiny has evolved over the years. Now she is harder on herself than are her fans, who adore her authentic candor.
Recently, she flipped out when she accidentally let a curse word slip during a live taping of “Today with Jenna & Friends.” While she was nervous about the mistake, her co-star Willie Geist assured her that she would be fine.
The incident echoed her father’s history with colorful language in public, including being caught on a live microphone cursing out a reporter during his 2000 campaign.
Much has changed for George W. Bush, who is now often seen as a media darling but was once one of the most disliked figures in America. His protective instincts toward his family have long been evident — and now seem to extend beyond his daughters. When rumors circulated about Barack and Michelle Obama divorcing, Bush Hager recalled how her father became upset when she asked about the gossip, firmly defending the couple’s marriage.
Bush Hager, family and politics intersect in ways only someone who has lived under constant public scrutiny can understand, which is why she gets to social media star.
From Ashley Hicks’ memories of her father’s Secret Service watch to the Bush twins’ college missteps and the Obama daughters’ carefully managed prom nights, these stories reveal a bond among first families (and those adjacent) facing the sacrifices of raising children under intense security.
Jenna Bush Hager’s openness offers a rare glimpse into growing up with a certain kind of watchfulness far beyond that of the average American teenager.
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