George W Bush Offers Lighthearted Gesture to Michelle Obama at His Father’s Funeral

A light-hearted moment occurred at the funeral President George H.W. Bush in Washington on Wednesday when his son, former President George W. Bush, slipped former first lady Michelle Obama what is believed to be a cough drop or piece of candy.

The exchange, which was caught on camera, came at the National Cathedral as Bush was greeting the former first couples on hand before the memorial service for his father began.

And it was an apparent nod to a viral video moment they shared in September during the late Sen. John McCain’s funeral.

Former President George W. Bush greets all the former presidents at his father’s funeral service. https://t.co/YsVdNOQqBj #Bush41 pic.twitter.com/VzkhdElZlg

— Dan Linden (@DanLinden) December 5, 2018

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At the McCain funeral, former first lady Laura Bush could be seen handing her husband what was later revealed to be a cough drop, and he then discreetly passed it on to Obama.

Former President Barack Obama looked on in amusement as his wife mouthed, “Thank you.”

George W. Bush sneaking a piece of candy to Michelle Obama is warming my heart . pic.twitter.com/pAtDdIcSeB

— Roland Scahill (@rolandscahill) September 1, 2018

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At the time, the internet was abuzz speculating what Bush handed to Michelle Obama.

“I didn’t realize at the time that anybody noticed what we were doing,” she later told NBC’s “Today.”

Obama pointed out that, due to protocol, she is always seated next to the 41st president when the former first couples gather.

“I love him to death,” she said. “He’s a wonderful man. He’s a funny man. And it was a simple gesture. He was getting a cough drop from Laura, and I looked over, and I said, ‘Hand me a cough drop,’ and he said, ‘OK.'”

“I will add they were old cough drops,” Obama joked. “That’s the funny thing, because they were in the little White House box, and I was like, ‘How long have you had these?’ And he said, ‘A long time, we got a lot of these!'”

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Another moment that brought smiles during George H.W. Bush’s memorial service on Wednesday was when biographer Jon Meacham recalled one comedian’s take on the late president’s speaking style.

Jon Meacham: “As Dana Carvey said, the key to a #Bush41 impersonation is Mister Rogers trying to be John Wayne.”#Remembering41⁠ pic.twitter.com/yuaWJLlMmA

— CSPAN (@cspan) December 5, 2018

“You can hear the voice, can’t you?” Meacham asked. “As Dana Carvey said, ‘The key to a Bush 41 impersonation is Mister Rogers trying to be John Wayne.'”

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