Jenna Bush Hager reveals what caused 'big fights' between her and dad George: 'I’d cry myself to sleep'

Jenna Bush Hager is shedding light on a longtime source of tension with her father, former president George W. Bush: her school performance. On Friday's episode of Today With Jenna & Friends, she said she once earned 'bad grades' in school, and that her dad would sit with her at the kitchen table to tutor her in math. '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,' Hager said, laughing at the memory.

Her co-host Sheinelle Jones described the confession as relatable, likening it to the way many families tackle tough subjects at the kitchen table. Hager did not specify when the episodes occurred, noting only that she and fraternal twin Barbara were 19 when their father began his first term in 2001.

As she described the scene, Hager underscored that those moments were part of a broader family dynamic. She said she repeatedly found herself arguing with her father as he tried to help with math, and she recalled her parents' broader approach to parenting. The former first daughter is married to Henry Hager since 2008, and they have three children — Mila, 12; Poppy, 10; and Hal, 6 — who sometimes hear stories about their grandparents. Despite those early tensions, Hager said the relationship remains close today, with the family drawing on shared memories as they navigate public life.

The interview also touched on a moment from September 2024 when Hager disclosed that she called her father in tears after learning that her former Today co-host Hoda Kotb would leave the program after 26 years with NBC. Kotb recalled that Hager told her father about the news, and that George Bush offered comfort, telling her that Kotb's departure was 'time' and that Hager would be fine with her own career advances. 'Then I called him last night,' Hager recalled. 'At first, he thought something really awful happened, like I lost a loved one, because of how emotional I was.' He reportedly followed with reassurance that it would be OK and that it was her turn to shine. The exchange underscored the ongoing closeness between Hager and her father as she continues her broadcasting and philanthropic work while balancing motherhood.

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