Earlier this year, Twitter users had a full-fledged fit over former President George W. Bush spending time with talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres at a Dallas Cowboys game. DeGeneres addressed the criticism on her show, saying she was friends with people who held different views than she does.
Former First Lady Michelle Obama shared DeGeneres’ sentiment, stating she saw nothing wrong with the two having a relationship, People reported.
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In a recent interview on TODAY with President Bush’s daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, brought up the incident as well as former President Barack Obama’s statements about the danger of cancel culture. She asked Obama, “What do you say to people that want to be closer to each other?”
Obama responded that despite she and Bush disagreeing on policy, they shared the same values – and that’s what bonded them.
“I had an opportunity to sit by your father at funerals, the highs and the lows, and we shared stories about our kids and about our parents. Our values are the same,” Obama said. “We disagree on policy, but we don’t disagree about humanity. We don’t disagree about love and compassion. I think that’s true for all of us. It’s just that we get lost in our fear of what’s different.”
The interview took place while Obama, Hager, Julia Roberts and other women were in Vietnam, working to help girls there. As with DeGeneres, criticism of Obama’s defense of Bush was vast.
“THIS IS NOT IT, @MichelleObama. Why are you trying to rehabilitate a war criminal?” tweeted activist Leela Daou. Nubai Ventures founder Jamarlin Martin chimed in tweeting, “From the Great Reverend Jeremiah Wright to this.” Judd Legum tweeted people’s attempt to rehabilitate Bush “continues to confound me.”
Seems some people are not as forgiving or forgetful as others.
