George W. Bush gifts Michelle Obama mints in an ode to their friendship

The friendship betwixt erstwhile archetypal woman Michelle Obama and erstwhile President George W. Bush was connected show again Thursday astatine the Obama Presidential Center's opening ceremonial successful Chicago. 

Ahead of the ceremony, Bush talented Obama a tin of Altoids successful a callback to 1 of their viral moments astatine the ceremonial for Sen. John McCain successful 2018. The erstwhile president was caught sneaking Obama what was aboriginal said to beryllium a cough driblet during the funeral. 

"President Bush and I, we are everlastingly seatmates due to the fact that of protocol, that's however we beryllium astatine each the authoritative functions, truthful helium is my spouse successful transgression astatine each large happening wherever each the 'formers' gather," Obama said connected "Today" aft the infinitesimal caught the public's attention. "It was a elemental gesture. He was getting a cough driblet from Laura, and I looked implicit and I said, 'Hand maine a cough drop.'"

Obama called Bush "a fantastic man" and "a comic man." 

"I emotion him to death," she said.

Months later, Bush recreated the moment astatine the ceremonial for his father, appearing to gaffe Obama a portion of candy oregon a mint erstwhile they shook hands.

In a caller interview with his daughter, Jenna Bush Hager, Bush referred to what helium handed Obama astatine McCain's ceremonial arsenic an Altoid. 

But whether it was a cough driblet oregon a mint, the sentiment remains. 

"It turns retired the state is starved to spot a White center-right Republican and an African American center-left Democrat having amusive and being capable to converse, not arsenic governmental figures, but arsenic citizens," Bush said. 

And the acquisition connected Thursday appeared to beryllium good received, with Obama smiling and holding up the tin successful a photograph with Bush. 

Former President George W. Bush gives erstwhile archetypal woman Michelle Obama mints up of the dedication ceremonial for the opening of the Barack Obama Presidential Center connected June 18, 2026, successful Chicago, Illinois.  Pablo Martinez Monsivais-Pool / Getty Images

Bush and his wife, erstwhile archetypal woman Laura Bush, on with the different "formers" — Bill and Hillary Clinton and Joe and Jill Biden — sat with the Obamas connected the signifier astatine the statesmanlike halfway ceremonial Thursday.

In:

• Michelle Obama
• George W. Bush