A moment between George W. Bush and Michelle Obama at John McCain’s funeral has gone viral again, after Bush explained what actually happened.
In an interview with his daughter Jenna Bush Hager, Bush said the clip was misunderstood. According to him, the moment was harmless and simply part of them sitting together due to official protocol that pairs former presidents and first ladies.
He joked with Michelle Obama during the service and even handed her an Altoid mint. “I thought she might want one,” he said, adding there was nothing deeper to it.
Online, the moment sparked wild theories and jokes, with some users misreading it as tension between them. Bush later said he didn’t expect it to trend and didn’t even know what “trending” meant at the time.
He also reflected that people were surprised to see a Republican and a Democrat sitting together “having fun and conversing as citizens, not political figures.”
Their friendly relationship isn’t new. Michelle Obama has previously said they are “forever seatmates” at official events due to protocol, adding that Bush is “funny” and “a wonderful man,” and that she “loves him to death.”