Jenna Bush Hager, daughter of former President George W. Bush, discussed how her father’s presidency helped her career during a Wednesday segment of “TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle.”
“I haven’t asked my boss, and I’d rather not — I got this interview… I was on the show because my dad was president,” Bush Hager confessed to her co-host during the show.
“I wrote a book in 2006. I was on the show. And then my mom and I wrote a book nine months later and she guest-hosted the 8. And so, I was on, and then they kept calling,” she added.
Bush Hager joined the show after teaching for several years. She said she was asked to join the on-air team throughout her tenure in the classroom but repeatedly declined.
However, one yes led to a more than decades long career with the company that has not only allowed her to co-host with Sheinelle Jones but also run the popular on-air book club, “Read with Jenna,” featuring regular author interviews and book recommendations.
“I wouldn’t have been given that opportunity,” Bush Hager said, referring to her parents’ stint of leadership in the White House that brought international recognition to her career.
“I think most people who have parents that [are famous], we have a privilege, that we know and you can own that,” she added.
Bush Hager says the concept of nepotism is a topic she’s discussing with her 13-year-old daughter, Mila.
“Mila worked this summer. I always worked, and I hope I’m not imparting any sort of transference on that, overdoing it,” Bush Hager said of conversations with her daughter.
Even after 17 years at TODAY, Bush Hager said, “I feel lucky to be here, and I also feel like I needed to prove it.”
Soon, she’ll be tasked with the role of executive producer for the “Line of Fire” drama set to air on Sept. 21.
Bush-Hager will be working alongside Josh Safran, who created the show “Quantico,” as reported by Deadline.
Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
