'Bad Influence!': Jenna Bush-Hager Blames Barack Obama for Her Father George's Behavior at 2025 Inauguration

Jenna Bush-Hager revealed her family can't stop talking about George W. Bush’s facial expressions at Donald Trump’s inauguration.

“You all already guessed what moment has been blowing up our family group chat,” the former president’s daughter shared on the January 21 episode of the Today show. “Yeah, my dad went viral for these cutaway shots during yesterday’s broadcast. The internet’s obsessed with this little smile and goofy expression.”

Jenna was referring to faces her father was caught making at various points during the inauguration. At one point, he raised his eyebrows during the ceremony, and at another point, he winked. When running into Barack Obama, George couldn’t resist laughing.

Though she acknowledged his actions, Jenna explained sitting next to “bad influence” Barack allowed for her dad to not be held accountable for what he did.

“Take a look at what former President Barack Obama had to say,” Jenna exclaimed, mentioning a moment OK! reported on where Barack claimed he did not plan on behaving during the inauguration.

Regardless of their antics, Jenna did talk positively about her father’s friendship with Michelle Obama’s husband. “I just love how when they’re together, they become unusual friends,” she said.

On the fourth hour of Today, George’s behavior at the event for President Trump came up again.

When saying George — who she claimed goes “viral for basically anything” — appeared to be holding back laughter while Donald spoke, Jenna explained that’s “just what his face looks like” and he was actually “very well behaved.”

Since she's participated in inaugurations before, the sister of Barbara Bush was able to shed some light on what viewing the event is like. She described it like “watching your kids holiday concert,” adding that you “don’t really care about the whole scene” but just zoom in “right on your kid.”

“That’s a little bit about how we watch an inauguration in my family,” she added. “I’m like, ‘What’s happening with the parents.'”

Jenna concluded with a hopeful message, using her father’s friendship with Barack as an example for what can happen to the United States, stating: “I think it shows that even in divisive times, we have so much more that unites us, so let’s pray for that.”