Ever wonder what life is like at the White House? According to Jenna Bush Hager, the place might actually be haunted.
Jenna first talked about her feelings on The Kelly Clarkson Show. She said there were incidents when she and sister Barbara were trying to go to sleep.
"Barbara and I were going to sleep, our rooms were right next to each other, and it was in college when people would call late," she said. "So our phone rang and I woke up and all of a sudden, we heard, like, 1920s piano music coming out of our fireplace."
The topic of ghosts remains something that much of America is divided on. For the people who've had experiences with the paranormal, it's something very common and accepted. But for others, it's something that can easily be dismissed.
And that's exactly what mom Laura Bush did. She also went on to appear on The Kelly Clarkson Show, and Kelly brought up Jenna's story. Laura is a firm nonbeliever. "No, we never did," she said. "I think Barbara and Jenna were the ones that felt like it was haunted and pretended like they heard voices."
She was also quick to push the blame. "It's probably just a Secret Service talking down the hall in another room that they heard," she said. "But we didn't think it was haunted. We loved living there. It's a magnificent house."
Kelly agreed with Laura that the building was beautiful — and said that she, herself, had visited it plenty of times before — but wondered if it "would have been a little daunting for a kid." Earlier in the show, Kelly said that her connection with Jenna was phenomenal, so she was probably trying not to offend her friend.
That said, Jenna and Barbara were in college when their dad took office. In fact, that age led them to a somewhat flawed reputation. "The Bush Girls" were often ostracized in the news for getting into situations that normal college girls might get into, but children of the president shouldn't.
That said, Jenna never said they were terrifying ghosts, nor did she try to besmirch the good name of the White House. As she told Kelly, "Listen, Kelly, you would've liked these ghosts because they were very musical. They were musical and came with no harm. They were friendly, kind, and compassionate ghosts."
Despite her mom trying to call her out, Jenna stood by her belief when asked about it once again on her own show. "I really did hear it, and we can call my sister on speaker phone if people disagree," Jenna said. "It is a magnificent house," she added. "Should we do some research into, 'Can the Secret Service play 1920s piano?'"
She also quoted an interaction she had with an employee named Buddy, who still happens to work at the White House. She told Buddy what she and her sister heard, and his response more or less confirmed that he also heard things at night. "Oh Jenna, you wouldn't believe what I've seen in these walls," Buddy stated.
It's funny that Jenna stands by her story, no matter what her mom thinks. But luckily, this feud over ghosts doesn't seem all that serious. "I love my mom; the ghosts just might not have been into her," Jenna commented.
That said, the White House is a pretty old building, and many people have been inside. Construction started back on October 13, 1792. The White House is a gigantic building, with 132 rooms and four floors. If you're the type of person who believes in spirits, it's very possible that there are some who remain inside.
Now that Jenna has opened up about her experience in the White House, it's possible that more accounts may come forward. Just because a house has spirits in it doesn't mean it's not also a wonderfully established home and an icon of America. It'd be interesting to see if anyone tries to connect with Buddy to get his story.
In 2009, History put out a piece about how the White House may actually be the most haunted house in America, which adds some credibility to Jenna's claim. "Presidents, first ladies, White House staff members and guests have reported feeling ghostly presences, hearing unexplained noises and even running into actual apparitions — even on the way out of the bathtub, in one particularly famous case," the site wrote.
Plenty of people have reported spotting Abraham Lincoln's ghost at the White House, including first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, seamstress Lillian Rogers Parks, and even Calvin Coolidge's wife Grace Coolidge, who was reportedly the first to notice the spirit of Lincoln. Now, the big question — would the ghost of Abraham Lincoln possibly be into music way past his time, from the 1920s?
