Jenna Bush Hager is taking a moment to honor and celebrate her mom Laura Bush. On Tuesday, November 4, the former first lady rang in her 79th trip around the sun, for which her daughter shared a family photo featuring her husband George W. Bush and some of their grandchildren. The post coincided with news breaking of the death of longtime Bush family ally and former vice president Dick Cheney, who passed away aged 84.
For Mrs. Bush's birthday, Jenna took to Instagram and shared several photos featuring her mom, starting with a black and white photo featuring her parents, as well as her three children with husband Henry Hager, Mila, 12, Poppy, 10, and Hal, six. She next shared a photo of Mrs. Bush alongside a toddler Mila, whose name is an amalgamation of Laura and her maternal grandmother Margaret Hager's name.
Jenna also included a photo of herself as a baby with her parents, and another one featuring her twin sister Barbara Bush. "Happy birthday to my precious mama @laurawbush. I love you now and I loved you then. Love you always!" she captioned the post, and fans and friends alike were quick to take to the comments section under the post with congratulatory messages.
"Happy Birthday to your beautiful mama," Good Morning America anchor Lara Spencer wrote, as others followed suit with: "Happy birthday to your mom. She’s made such a lasting impact — inspirational," and: "So sweet. Happy birthday to your mama," as well as: "Happy birthday to a true class act!"
Bush has already issued a statement addressing the death of Cheney, widely regarded as the most influential vice president in American history, as well as the architect of American power in the early 21st century, thanks to his heavy hand over the United States' intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq and the country's torture program. In 2014, he told Politico's Mike Allen he has no regrets over it.
"The death of Richard B. Cheney is a loss to the nation and a sorrow to his friends. Laura and I will remember Dick Cheney for the decent, honorable man that he was. History will remember him as among the finest public servants of his generation — a patriot who brought integrity, high intelligence, and seriousness of purpose to every position he held," Bush's statement began.
"As a young White House aide and chief of staff, a Congressman, a Secretary of Defense, and my Vice President, Dick earned the confidence and high opinion of five presidents," he recalled, adding: "I asked him to join my ticket in 2000 after first enlisting him to help me find the best running mate. In our long discussions about the qualities a vice president should have — deep experience, mature judgment, character, loyalty — I realized that Dick Cheney was the one I needed. I'm still grateful that he was at my side for the eight years that followed."
"Dick was a calm and steady presence in the White House amid great national challenges. I counted on him for his honest, forthright counsel, and he never failed to give his best. He held to his convictions and prioritized the freedom and security of the American people. For those two terms in office, and throughout his remarkable career, Dick Cheney's service always reflected credit on the country he loved."