George W. Bush’s daughter recently made a playful comment about Barack Obama being a “bad influence” after a lip-reading video seemingly revealed their conversation during the inauguration.
The ceremony, held on Monday (January 20), saw a number of former presidents attending, including Bill and Hillary Clinton, George W. and Laura Bush, and Barack Obama, who attended without his wife, Michelle.
A deaf woman named Jackie G, known online as @tismejackieg, posted on Instagram, sharing her interpretation of what was said between Obama and Bush, who was standing next to his wife.
According to the lip reader, the conversation started with Obama greeting Bush with a “Good to see you.” Obama then nodded and said “thank you” before smiling and allegedly adding, “How can we stop what’s happening?”
Jackie G shared the clip with the caption: “Obama ‘just barely’ behaving.”
Later, after leaving the Capitol Rotunda, Obama was asked if Bush had behaved during Trump’s inauguration. Obama joked, saying “Just barely,” when responding to a reporter from the Washington Post, Emily Davies.
Davies referenced a previous video she uploaded earlier that day, where a staff member asked Bush: “Are you going to behave?”
Obama quickly responded on his behalf with: “Nope.”
Viewers on social media flocked to the comments to react to the moment. One Instagram user wrote: “This is amazing. You are amazing.”
Another commenter praised: “You’re doing the lord’s work.”
A third added: “Laughing and crying at the same time.”
The lip reader also included a “disclaimer” which said: “Lip reading is not a reliable form of communication, all statements are alleged.”
Jenna Bush Hager, George W. Bush’s daughter, shared her thoughts on the “viral” moment during Tuesday’s episode of Today (January 21).
She revealed that their family group chat had been buzzing non-stop since the incident on Monday.
“You all already guessed what moment has been blowing up our family group chat,” she said. “Yeah, my dad went viral for these cutaway shots during yesterday’s broadcast.
“The internet’s obsessed with this little smile and goofy expression.”
Bush’s daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, joked about her father’s behaviour during the inauguration (Today)[/caption]
Bush Hager mentioned the moment her father was caught trying to hold back laughter, speculating that he “must have locked eyes with someone.”
She playfully added that her dad wasn’t the only one responsible for his behavior, saying, “You guys, you can’t just blame him because it looks like my dad was also seated next to a bad influence.
“Take a look at what former President Barack Obama had to say.”
She wrapped up with, “I just love how when they’re together, they become unusual friends.”