On December 5, 2018, during the funeral of George H.W. Bush, an unexpectedly light-hearted moment took place. Former President George W. Bush shared a small yet significant gesture with former First Lady Michelle Obama by slipping her a piece of candy. This act brought a smile to Obama’s face, illustrating the unusual friendship between the 43rd president and the former first lady.
The candy exchange was not unprecedented. Bush had already shared a similar moment with Obama at the funeral of former Senator John McCain in September. During McCain’s funeral, Bush discreetly handed Obama a cough drop, creating what became known as the ‘cough drop moment’.
“President Bush and I, we are forever seatmates because of protocol, and that’s how we sit at all the official functions,” Obama explained in an October interview with ‘Today’. “He’s my partner in crime at every major thing where all the ‘formers’ gather. So we’re together all the time.”
The state funeral for George H.W. Bush held at the National Cathedral in Washington was attended by many prominent figures. Attendees included President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama, former President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, and former President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter.
George W. Bush and Michelle Obama’s friendship has become a symbol of bipartisan goodwill since Obama’s time in office. An iconic instance of their camaraderie was when they shared a warm hug at the National Museum of African American History and Culture dedication ceremony in 2016. Bush later told People Magazine in 2017 that their connection is bolstered by a shared sense of humor. “She kind of likes my sense of humor. Anybody who likes my sense of humor, I immediately like,” said Bush. “[The Obamas] are around serious people all the time and we just took to each other.”
In a 2017 interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Bush acknowledged that their friendship often surprises people. The ability to maintain a friendship across political lines showcases that “people on opposite sides of the political spectrum can actually like each other.”