INQUISITR.COM / News & Politics

George W. Bush: Former President Wears Poncho During Inauguration, Internet Reacts

By Brad Faber
Published on: 13:52 PST, Jan 20, 2017

George W. Bush, the 43rd president of the United States, was in attendance with his wife, Laura, for the inauguration of Donald Trump on Friday, January 20, 2017. During the inauguration of Donald Trump, who is now officially the 45th president of the United States, a plastic poncho seemed to act as a bit of a nuisance for President Bush 43.

Amidst the raindrops, the former president seemed to be having a bit of trouble when it came to getting the poncho on. Social media has apparently found the former president’s fight with the poncho to be rather amusing, with TIME discussing how many have found humor in President Bush’s “demeanor” during the ordeal. TIME further explains that “the internet is going wild,” and some have started “poking fun” at President Bush’s efforts “to stay dry.”

During the 2016 presidential cycle, President Bush 43 initially supported his brother and former governor of Florida, Jeb Bush. During the campaign, Trump famously accused Jeb of being “a low energy guy,” and during a debate ahead of the South Carolina primary, Trump was critical of President Bush 43 and the Iraq war.

Trump would later win the South Carolina primary, and in the aftermath, Jeb Bush decided to suspend his campaign. According to Politico, neither President Bush 43 nor Jeb voted for President Trump in November.

Now that the election is over, however, Trump and the Bushes appears to be getting along a little bit better. After President Trump had defeated former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the general election, he said on Twitter that President George H.W. Bush, President George W. Bush, and Jeb Bush had all called to congratulate him on his victory.

Though President Bush 43 was in attendance, it was reported by the Tampa Bay Times in early January that Jeb would not be present at the inauguration. Due to health issues, President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara Bush were also unable to attend. However, President George H.W. Bush did send a letter to Trump, saying that they would be there in spirit while also wishing him the best. According to NPR, President Bush 41 wanted to make sure President Trump knew that his absence at the inauguration would have nothing to do with hard feelings.

“Former President George H.W. Bush wanted to be clear that there was no ill will keeping him from attending Donald Trump’s inauguration on Friday.”

President Bush 43 was joined by three other former presidents as well. Outgoing President Barack Obama, his wife and former First Lady Michelle, President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn, and President Bill Clinton, along with his wife and former Trump opponent Hillary, were all in attendance. Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who was spotted wearing a cowboy hat, was also in attendance. Cheney can be seen sitting behind President Bush as he struggled with the poncho.

Chris Perez of the New York Post makes the claim that whether one is a fan of President Bush 43 or not, he “can be awkwardly adorable at times.” The Twitter world continues to have a lot of fun with it as well.

For those who may be wondering what he has been up to since he left the Oval Office back in 2009, President Bush 43 has taken up a new career as a painter and has created portraits of world leaders, as the Inquisitr has reported in the past. Last year, President Bush appeared with his brother Jeb on The Sean Hannity Show and jokingly referred to himself as a “sensitive artist.”

[Featured Image by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]

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