It's really hard to be a kid in the White House. Sure, your dad has the most powerful job in the country. But that often means that all eyes are on you. And when you're growing up in front of the public, it's even tougher. While Sasha and Malia Obama managed to stay under the radar, people couldn't leave Chelsea Clinton alone.
The Bush twins had it even worse. Shortly after George W. Bush was named president, his two daughters, Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush Coyne, were cited for underage drinking. At the time, they were 19.
While it's definitely a crime, it's something that many college students have done before. However, most college students aren't related to the president. After news got out, Jenna and Barbara gained a reputation. The fact that they were twins didn't necessarily help. In a way, it made it look like the president had two daughters who were out of control.
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These days, Jenna has built an incredible career. She's an author and is also part of the Today show family. Most people have seemed to forgiven the family for the "incident," even though it was hot news back in the day. But the question is still on everyone's mind. How did dad George handle the news of the citation?
While speaking on Today with her cohost Hoda Kotb, Jenna admitted that she was generally happy with her childhood. "While we were growing up, I for one had parents that let us fail, let us fall and publicly,'' she said. "And I always say to them now, 'How brave of you,' because it didn't reflect great on them, either."
She admitted that she was sad when she had to tell her dad about what happened with the alcohol citation. "The first time I had a public failure, I called my dad, and I was crying and I apologized to him," she said. "I got a minor (misdemeanor) in possession of alcohol when I was 19."
She knew that her actions wouldn't reflect that well on her dad — especially since he had just taken office. "I felt embarrassed, and I felt really badly for him because I thought this is going to make him look bad," she said. As tabloids can be cruel, it definitely wasn't the greatest story that came out of George W. Bush's presidency.
However, it seems as if he responded like a dad — and not a president. Regardless of how you feel about the Bush family politically, they've always been a great example of a loving and caring family. And that's one of the reasons why her father responded to her in such an interesting way. Instead of being mad, he actually apologized.
"He apologized to me because what we wanted more than anything was to just be normal college kids,'' Jenna said. "So he always would say, 'No, you can be normal.' He also wanted to give us what we wanted, some space and to grow, and also I think he wanted to give us the chance to make mistakes, not so publicly." He knew that kids made mistakes and often learned from them.
He knew that by being president, his daughters' lives would be harder than the standard college student's. He acknowledged that this decision impacted everyone. Many fathers might not see their children's actions this way. Yes, Jenna did something wrong — but nobody makes flawless decisions at 19.
George W. Bush also had to sit Jenna down and talk to her about alcohol. While alcohol use is common in America, it can very easily be abused — and lead to many serious consequences. In 2010, the former president revealed in his book Decision Points that he, himself, gave up drinking after wanting to focus more on fatherhood.
"He said, 'I just want you to know that there was a point in my life where I thought like this is interrupting what's beautiful,''' Jenna said. "He just knew that it was interrupting his dreams and interrupting his parenting. I always appreciated it, and I still do." It's an interesting way of thinking about it.
Obviously, there's not a parent out there who would be happy over the news that their child was caught with alcohol while underage. However, it's good for parents to reflect on their own childhoods. Even the people pleasers out there have done things they've regretted — or at least learned from. In approaching the incident this way, the former president also made himself approachable.
When parents have a deep understanding of their kids, and acknowledge that nobody's perfect, they're simply easier to talk to. Obviously, Jenna didn't want to put her father in a bad place. But he handled this so well that he made her more willing to think out her choices and to honestly tell her dad about her plans and choices.
These are lessons that Jenna may someday share with her own children. Jenna is married to Henry Hager, who formerly worked on George W. Bush's 2004 reelection campaign. They share three children together — Margaret, Poppy, and baby Hal, who was born in August 2019.
Jenna says that she told her daughters about Hal's arrival at Easter of that year, and then she shared her pregnancy news with people on Today since she knew it would spread fast. "I’m only telling because [the girls] found out yesterday in their Easter basket,” she said. "They told the man behind me on the airplane, they told the people at church … The girls are so happy."
Regarding her marriage to Henry, Jenna definitely proved her mom, Laura Bush, wrong. It was revealed early on in their relationship that Laura didn't think the couple was built to last. "This is not a serious boyfriend," she reportedly said. "I hate to have to be the one to say it on television. But he's a very nice young man."
Not only is their marriage stable, but Jenna seems happier than ever. It's obvious that she's learned from her past and treasures her father as a source of reason. She's a wonderful example of someone in the spotlight who's been able to change people's perceptions of them. She may have liked to party back in the day, but most 19-year-olds have that in common.
