NEWSJenna Bush Hager Cried Herself to Sleep as a Kid After 'Getting Into Big Fights' With Dad George W. Bush Over 'Bad Grades'
George W. Bush tried to help his daughter with homework.
Sept. 26 2025, Published 6:10 p.m. ET
Being the former first daughter may have come with its perks, but Jenna Bush Hager's dad, George W. Bush, was just like any other father when it came to schoolwork.
On the Friday, September 26, installment of Today With Jenna & Friends, the mom-of-three and guest co-host Sheinelle Jones were discussing a TikTok about parents' expectations about their children's grades when Bush Hager shared a memory from her childhood.
Jenna Bush Hager and George W. Bush Got Into Argument About Her Grades
Jenna Bush Hager recalled getting 'bad grades' in school, which didn't sit well with dad George W. Bush.
"There was a period of time when I made bad grades," the NBC star shared, to which Jones asked, "And how would your parents handle it?"
"My dad would sit with me at that kitchen table and try to teach me math, and we'd get in big fights and I'd cry myself to sleep," she admitted with a laugh.
"I think actually the fact that you say that, I think that's very relatable, because I think that's kitchen tables all over this country," her costar noted.
Jones was right, as plenty of people shared similar experiences via the comments section.
"Me!! That was me — but dining room table. The TEARS!! 😭," one Instagram user wrote, while another penned, "Same girl! & My dad taught high school algebra!"
"My dad was a mechanical engineer and couldn’t understand why I couldn’t just *see* the answer in my head 🫠," a third person said.
Jenna Bush Hager Used to Be a Wild Child
- Sheinelle Jones Shades Jenna Bush Hager's Wild Child Past Months After Host Admits She Got Arrested as a Teen
- Jenna Bush Hager Says Parents former President George W. Bush & First Lady Laura Bush 'Were Not Strict'
- Jenna Bush Hager Reveals She Got Arrested in Shocking Confession Despite Being the President's Daughter: 'I Didn't Get Away With It'
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The mom-of-three admitted she was rebellious when growing up.
It was just one episode prior when the women talked about Bush Hager's wild child past.
"I didn't sneak out, really. I didn't do anything," Jones said of when she was younger, which caused Bush Hager to have a guilty look on her face. "I just hope that [my kid] is like me. If I had a little Jenna, I wouldn't know how to parent that."
"My parents didn't either," Bush Hager declared.
The TV host admitted her parents didn't know how to discipline her as a teen.
"Shoutout to your mom because you turned out okay," Jones said.
"I have a question. When you are being rebellious, is it just like, 'So what?' What do I need to know?" she inquired, as she has a daughter of her own.
"I don't remember. I'm old now," Bush Hager quipped.
Jenna Bush Hager's Prior Arrest
Bush Hager was arrested when she was 20 but never went to jail.
Bush Hager previously revealed she was arrested for possession of alcohol as a minor in Texas in 2001. One month later, she was booked again for using a fake ID to purchase drinks.
"I didn’t actually go to jail, I just was arrested," she clarified. "I wasn’t even arrested; I was never detained. I just got a minor in possession of alcohol when I was 20 years old because I ordered a margarita at Chuy’s with a fake ID."
