Jenna Bush Hager recalls George H. W. Bush’s appreciation for Dana Carvey’s SNL impression

Jenna Bush Hager revealed that Dana Carvey’s impersonation of her grandfather, former President George H. W. Bush, was a source of amusement for the Bush family and even the White House. She said the elder Bush was a fan of Carvey’s Saturday Night Live portrayal and even invited the comedian to perform for his staff at the White House after the 1992 election setback.

During a discussion about late-night television on Today with Jenna & Friends, Hager and co-host Sheinelle Jones noted that public figures are often subjected to ridicule and media scrutiny as part of the job. "That’s part of the job," Hager said, adding that she recalls reading things about her grandfather "where I was like, ‘Oh gosh,’ like as a little kid," and that such coverage "hurts" but that "that’s not the man that I know, and that’s part of the job."

She recounted the White House moment when Carvey visited to lift spirits after the 1992 loss. "My grandfather was devastated he felt like he didn’t finish the job. He had Dana come to the White House to make fun of him so he could cheer up his staff, who was disappointed upon the results," she said.

Bush Hager also said that even her family enjoyed Carvey’s impersonation. "We laughed hysterically at some of it and I think that’s part of it, too. You can’t take yourself so seriously," she said. She noted that her father, former President George W. Bush, was a fan of Will Ferrell’s SNL impression of him, recalling, "Yeah, I love to roast my dad. Like when he was the president, Barbara and I would show him the Saturday Night Lives where they made fun of him and stuff. He loved it!".

The discussion underscores how late-night satire has long bridged entertainment and politics, with Carvey and Ferrell both figures in her family’s broader anecdotes about public life. Today with Jenna & Friends airs on NBC on weekdays at 10/9c.