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George W. Bush Jokes About His Poncho Problem at Inauguration, Talks Trump and Putin’s Relationship and More

Not afraid to laugh at himself! Former POTUS George W. Bush joked to Ellen DeGeneres about his poncho problem at President Donald Trump’s inauguration. See what he had to say in the video above!

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The politician, 70 — who appeared on the Thursday, March 2, episode of The Ellen DeGeneres Show to promote his new art book, Portraits of Courage — couldn’t help but giggle when the talk show host, 59, brought up his failed attempt at putting on a poncho during the inaugural celebration in Washington, D.C., on January 20.

DeGeneres showed a series of photos from the hilarious moment and asked Bush if that was his first time ever wearing a poncho. “It looks like it!” he replied. “That’s for sure.”

The Finding Dory voice actress then shared a few snaps of Bush’s mother, Barbara Bush, also having a hard time putting on a poncho at another political event, which the 43rd commander in chief found hysterical. “It’s genetics!” he quipped.

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On a more serious note, Bush addressed Trump’s eyebrow-raising relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin. “I had a contentious relationship with him,” he said. “I think whoever the president is, is going to find out that Putin is going to push and push and push until someone stands up to him.”

He also spoke out about the ex–Celebrity Apprentice star’s complicated relationship with the media. As previously reported, the White House blocked reporters from The New York Times, CNN and Politico, among others, from a press briefing on Friday, February 24, though representatives from conservative outlets were allowed in.

“Here’s what I believed when I was president and post-president. The nation needs a free and independent press,” Bush told DeGeneres, echoing remarks he made during a recent appearance on the Today show. “Power can be very corrupting, and we need a press to hold politicians to account, including me. I didn’t like it sometimes when people said things about me, but that’s the job. Power doesn’t make you immune to criticism.”

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Still, Bush is hopeful that the United States will thrive during Trump’s tenure in the Oval Office. “This isn’t the first time our nation has ever been divided. I remember what it was like when I got out of college. There was the Vietnam War. There were major race riots, political assassinations. The president was nearly impeached,” he noted. “A lot of people thought the country was going down the tubes. And it turns out, we’re too strong to go down the tubes, so I’m very optimistic.”

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