George W. Bush Gets Surprise Call From Daughter Live on TV and Immediately Plugs His New Book

Former President George W. Bush was unfazed when his daughter spontaneously called him on live TV and quickly used the opportunity to promote his upcoming book.

Jenna Bush Hager was persuaded to call the 43rd president on the Today show after a clip resurfaced of her doing the same thing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2007, when her father was still in office.

Cohost Sheinelle Jones came up with the idea, and Hager, 44, went for it. After her father answered, she put him on speakerphone and told him, “You’re on TV.”

Bush, 80, replied, “I’ve been trying to avoid that.”

After some small talk, he decided to use the call as an opportunity to plug his upcoming book.

“I’m glad you called because I don’t know if you know this or not, but I’ve got a book coming out next March,” Bush continued. “The Call of Freedom is the name of it, and as a result of taking this call, I’m hopeful I can convince you to help me sell the book.”

But when his daughter asked if he might appear on Today to talk about the book, he replied, “I would doubt that.”

Instead, he suggested the hosts pay him a visit. Jones then added that his daughter could make The Call of Freedom a book club pick to help sell it.

“I don’t think so, but I love you,” Hager told her father.

Wrapping up the impromptu call, Bush told Jones, “Sheinelle, thank you for being such good friends with Jenna, and I wish you girls all the best.”

Afterward, Hager joked, “When he said, ‘I’m glad you called,’ I was like, ‘What, am I grounded?'”

The hosts then suggested they could travel to Texas to interview Bush about the book when it is released in 2027.

“Maybe we make it a road trip,” Hager said.