George W. Bush doesn’t watch daughter Jenna Bush Hager’s ‘dumb’ ‘Today’ show

Don’t expect George W. Bush on “Today with Jenna & Friends” any time soon.

On Wednesday’s episode of “Today,” Jenna Bush Hager’s co-hosts pressed her on why her dad refuses to appear on her show — even if she flew to his native Texas to film it.

“I’m sure he’ll still say no. He says things like, ‘I don’t watch your dumb show,’” she admitted.

The co-hosts laughed at the comment, including Carson Daly, who said, “That’s why we love him!”

“I’ve actually asked him, and maybe I’ll do a public ask for him to come and be a ‘friend’ since he’s my father,” Hager confessed on Wednesday’s episode.

Her co-hosts noted that her dad rarely makes any TV appearances but made a surprise appearance on Peyton and Eli Manning’s “ManningCast” podcast Monday.

“Well, he said he was retired so I was surprised as anyone to see him on Monday night,” Hager, 43, quipped.

Despite the former president’s dig at his daughter’s talk show, he was the one she called crying over news that her former co-host Hoda Kotb would be leaving the “Today” after 26 years with NBC.

“Then I called him last night. At first, he thought something really awful [happened], like I lost a loved one, because of how emotional I was,” she tearfully recalled in September 2024 episode of “Today With Hoda and Jenna.” 

“And then, he said, ‘Oh, she’s leaving, because it’s time, and you’re going to be fine. It’s your turn. It’s OK.’”

Kotb, 61, who was also crying, stood up and clapped, assuring her that the her father, now 79, was right.

The author also revealed that her father encouraged her to take the co-hosting job back in 2019 when she was unsure of it herself.

“And I remember when you first started working together with me, you were afraid, so she called her dad,” Kotb recalled.

Hager jumped in, saying that George was “happy” for her, but jokingly reminded her that NBC veteran Kotb was “the star.”

And although he might not be a guest on “Today With Jenna & Friends,” the politician has made several appearances on the “Today” show, most recently on “Hoda & Jenna” in 2021 to discuss immigration.