Jenna Bush Hager reveals what her dad George W. REALLY thought about being mocked in brutal SNL skits during his presidency - as she admits family used to 'tease' him by showing him clips 'where he was made fun of'
- Jenna, 42, revealed that she loved teasing her father
- She noted that he didn't mind and laughed along
- Jenna also shared that her dad thought the SNL skits about him were 'hilarious'
Jenna Bush Hager has opened up about how her dad George W. Bush reacted to being used as the butt of the jokes on Saturday Night Live during and after his Presidency.
The 42-year-old former first daughter shed some light on her dad's true feelings about being routinely mocked on the comedy sketch show, which famously drags political leaders in its skits.
But while SNL has made fun of everything from George's politics and policies to his intelligence, Jenna says he actually enjoyed seeing the various ways in which the NBC show would feature him - claiming that he laughed off its mockery.
The Today With Hoda & Jenna host went as far as to claim that her dad, now 77, actually 'loved' being raked over the coals by SNL - admitting that her family used to make him watch episodes in which they knew he was made fun off as a form of teasing.
Jenna Bush Hager has revealed that she loves teasing her dad George W. Bush - adding that she and him share the same 'love language'
Jenna shared that she got her sense of humor from her father, 77, who served as the President from 2001 to 2009 and 'loved' laughing along at the comments about him
Jenna admitted that she finds it fun to 'harass' her dad - before noting that he didn't pay any attention to jokes made about him - especially those on SNL (Will Ferrell seen as President Bush)
'We would show him like Saturday Night Live [episodes] where they made fun of him and stuff. He loved it,' she said of her father, who served as President from 2001 until 2009.
According to Jenna, George W.'s relaxed approach to merciless mockery has made him a target not only for shows like SNL but also among his own family members, admitting that she finds it fun to 'harass' her dad whenever possible.
'My love language is roasting - like gently roasting. I try not to be mean. I like to harass my dad,' she said.
Then, Jenna noted that when her father was the President, she and her twin sister Barbara often showed her dad the jokes people made about him online.
'Once we were at the gym and there was a bumper sticker that said, "A village in Texas is missing its idiot." Barbara and I read it and took a minute and told our dad.
'He didn't care, he thought it was hilarious,' she said.
Hoda then chimed in and said that his sense of humor was 'the difference.'
'See, that's the difference. I think you can't laugh at yourself, then you feel like there is some truth to it,' the 59-year-old added.
While speaking to Hoda, Jenna explained that she loved teasing her friends and family
Then, Jenna noted that when her father was the President, she and her twin sister Barbara often showed her dad the jokes people made about him online.
She added that they took it even one step further by showing him the skits done mocking him on SNL (pictured as kids with their parents)
Jenna jumped back in and noted that her father also knew it came with the territory.
'If you're going to be the President of the United States, people are going to make fun of you. And, guess what? It ain't just about you,' the 42-year-old said.
Former President Bush was imitated by Will Ferrell for many years on the comedy show and branded him as a giggling and argumentative man.
However, the former President frequently made it clear he didn't mind the jabs.
Jenna has frequently gushed about her relationship with her father and her family, having previously revealed that she and Barbara were given boy nicknames from their parents.
SNL has made fun of a slew of former Presidents, including George Ford, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and more.
And while some former Presidents have been able to brush off the jokes made on TV, there was one who decided to fight back against them.
SNL has made fun of a slew of former Presidents, including George Ford, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, and more (Darrell Hammond seen as Bill Clinton on SNL)
Barack Obama was also one of the many presidents to be teased and join in on the fun
When Donald Trump's turn came to be teased on SNL, the former President made it clear he would not be standing idly by
When it came for Donald Trump's turn to be teased on SNL, the former President made it clear he would not be standing idly by.
After Trump got wind of Alec Baldwin's impersonation of him on the show and how it made a mockery of him, he made sure to let the world know he wouldn't be ignoring the jabs.
At the time, he called for the show to be looked into.
He tweeted: 'It’s truly incredible that shows like Saturday Night Live, not funny/no talent, can spend all of their time knocking the same person (me), over & over, without so much of a mention of "the other side."
'Like an advertisement without consequences. Same with Late Night Shows. Should Federal Election Commission and/or FCC look into this?'
He reignited his feud with SNL months later after they once again teased him.
Former President Trump once again took to Twitter to air off his frustrations and said: 'I once hosted SNL and the ratings were HUUUGE! Now, however, the ratings are lower than ever before, and the show will probably be put to rest.'
