Photos show Michelle Obama and George W. Bush's enduring friendship, built on wisecracks and cough drops

Bush said he likes Obama because she gets his humor, while Obama called Bush her "partner-in-crime."
The friendship, which began when former President Barack Obama was inaugurated in 2009, has had its fair share of viral moments, including several sly cough drop handovers and a sweet embrace.
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It's an iconic friendship.

Since 2009, former Republican president George W. Bush and former first lady Michelle Obama have hit it off, sharing some truly memorable moments.

In 2016, they had a sweet embrace that was impossible to fake. In 2018, Bush handed Obama cough drops on two different occasions the first at the memorial service for late Sen. John McCain, and the second at the funeral for George H. Bush, Bush's father.

Obama told the "Today" show , "I love him to death. He's a wonderful man, he's a funny man." While Bush told People they just "took to each other."

It's also a friendship that's been a little out of their hands. Obama and Bush are often seatmates at official functions, so they can spend a lot of time next to each other.

Here's their friendship, in photos.

The friendship blossomed in 2009, at President Barack Obamas inauguration.

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Rick Friedman / Corbis / Getty

Its a relationship thats been partly out of their hands since Obama and Bush are often seatmates at official functions. Of which, they attend a lot.

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Jae C. Hong / AP

They'll often be seated next to each other at inaugurations or funerals for major political figures.

But even when they arent seated, the couples can be seen together.

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Mary Altaffer / AP

In 2016, Obama and Bush showed the world their enduring friendship with a sweet embrace.

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Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP

The two attended the dedication ceremony for the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Jenna Bush Hager, Bush's daughter, called it "the hug that went around the world."

In 2016, the pair shared a moment during a memorial service for five police officers who were killed in Dallas.

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Eric Gay/AP

"Party doesn't separate us. Color, gender those kinds of things don't separate us. It's the messages that we send," Obama told NBC News .

They also sang together.

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Carlo Allegri / Reuters

They sang the Civil War-era song "Battle Hymn of the Republic," to honor fallen police officers who were killed by a sniper during a peaceful protest over the police killing of two African-American men .

Bush also raised a few eyebrows for dancing and lifting his wife and Obama's hands during the somber song.

Bush spoke to People about their friendship in 2017.

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Gerald Herbert/AP

"I needle her a little bit and around her, I'm fairly lighthearted," he said . "[The Obamas] are around serious people all the time and we just took to each other."

In 2017, he told Ellen DeGeneres that their friendship surprised everybody.

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Bill Frakes / AP

"That's what's so weird about society today, [the surprise] that people on opposite sides of the political spectrum can actually like each other," he said .

In 2018, at late Sen. John McCains memorial, Obama saw Laura Bush hand her husband a cough drop, and asked for one, too.

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Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post / Getty

"I looked over and I said, 'Hand me a cough drop," she told "Today." Bush did as he was told.

A clip of Obama mouthing "thank you" after the handover went viral.

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Time / Youtube

According to Business Insider's Eliza Relman , the moment "became a symbol of bipartisanship and human decency at a time of deep political and cultural division."

In 2018, Obama said Bush was her "partner in crime."

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Pablo Monsivais / AP

In an interview with Today , Obama spoke about their friendship, after their interaction at the memorial had gone viral.

She said she loved him "to death," and that he was "a wonderful and funny man."

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David Hume Kennerly / Bank of America/Getty

She also mentioned the cough drops had come in a White House box , leading her to ask how long he'd had them. He responded, "A long time we got a lot of these!"

Then, at Bushs fathers memorial in late 2018, as he greeted a line of past and present American presidents, he slyly slipped another cough drop into Obamas hand.

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Carolyn Kaster / AP

In December 2019, Obama defended Ellen DeGeneres when the host was ridiculed for having a friendship with Bush.

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Angel Marchini/SOPA Images/LightRocket / Getty

DeGeneres was criticized for her friendship with Bush after a photo went viral showing the pair sitting together at a football game.

Obama told "Today" that while they agreed on policy, their values were the same.

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Joshua Roberts / Reuters

"We don't disagree on humanity. We don't disagree about love and compassion. I think that's true for all of us. It's just that we get lost in our fear of what's different," she said .

Photos show Michelle Obama and George W. Bush's enduring friendship, built on wisecracks and cough drops

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The friendship blossomed in 2009, at President Barack Obamas inauguration.

Its a relationship thats been partly out of their hands since Obama and Bush are often seatmates at official functions. Of which, they attend a lot.

But even when they arent seated, the couples can be seen together.

In 2016, Obama and Bush showed the world their enduring friendship with a sweet embrace.

In 2016, the pair shared a moment during a memorial service for five police officers who were killed in Dallas.

They also sang together.

Bush spoke to People about their friendship in 2017.

In 2017, he told Ellen DeGeneres that their friendship surprised everybody.

In 2018, at late Sen. John McCains memorial, Obama saw Laura Bush hand her husband a cough drop, and asked for one, too.

A clip of Obama mouthing "thank you" after the handover went viral.

In 2018, Obama said Bush was her "partner in crime."

She said she loved him "to death," and that he was "a wonderful and funny man."

Then, at Bushs fathers memorial in late 2018, as he greeted a line of past and present American presidents, he slyly slipped another cough drop into Obamas hand.

In December 2019, Obama defended Ellen DeGeneres when the host was ridiculed for having a friendship with Bush.

Obama told "Today" that while they agreed on policy, their values were the same.

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Photos show Michelle Obama and George W. Bush's enduring friendship, built on wisecracks and cough drops

Recommended articles

The friendship blossomed in 2009, at President Barack Obamas inauguration.

Its a relationship thats been partly out of their hands since Obama and Bush are often seatmates at official functions. Of which, they attend a lot.

But even when they arent seated, the couples can be seen together.

In 2016, Obama and Bush showed the world their enduring friendship with a sweet embrace.

In 2016, the pair shared a moment during a memorial service for five police officers who were killed in Dallas.

They also sang together.

Bush spoke to People about their friendship in 2017.

In 2017, he told Ellen DeGeneres that their friendship surprised everybody.

In 2018, at late Sen. John McCains memorial, Obama saw Laura Bush hand her husband a cough drop, and asked for one, too.

A clip of Obama mouthing "thank you" after the handover went viral.

In 2018, Obama said Bush was her "partner in crime."

She said she loved him "to death," and that he was "a wonderful and funny man."

Then, at Bushs fathers memorial in late 2018, as he greeted a line of past and present American presidents, he slyly slipped another cough drop into Obamas hand.

In December 2019, Obama defended Ellen DeGeneres when the host was ridiculed for having a friendship with Bush.

Obama told "Today" that while they agreed on policy, their values were the same.

FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA

Recommended articles

Davido launches his label Nine+ in partnership with UnitedMasters

Nigeria's economic ranking drops to fourth in Africa

Moscow inaugurates its House of Africa

The CBN justifies $2b billion loss in forex, dispelling Naira defense claims

10 best airports in Africa in 2024

10 most expensive cities in Africa in 2024

Illegal money changers adapt to Zimbabwe's ZiG currency rollout

Zimbabwe's ZiG currency printing contingent on reserve sufficiency

The global workforce is set to collapse without Africa

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