Jenna Bush Hager sparked controversy with her comments on Beyoncé's reaction at the 2025 Grammy Awards.

During a segment on Today with Jenna & Friends, Hager and guest host Ego Nwodim discussed the singer's surprise when she won Best Country Album. Hager compared Beyoncé's viral expression to her father, former President George W. Bush's reaction during Donald Trump's second inauguration, which quickly became a meme.

"When she won, she was surprised and it led to this really great meme," Hager remarked. Nwodim humorously added, "She looks like she's getting up to do the robot."

Hager then made the comparison, stating, "Social media really went to town, and I was happy because my dad also made a couple of facial expressions at the inauguration." As the show displayed images of Beyoncé and Bush, 78, side by side, she continued, "He didn't do anything and she didn't do anything. They just looked surprised, or delighted, bewildered... bewildered for different reasons."

Not everyone found the comparison amusing.

Many viewers took issue with the 43-year-old linking Beyoncé to Bush, a controversial figure due to his presidency and the Iraq War.

"Apparently, Jenna thinks her dad's behavior was becoming of a former president. I don't see anything funny about his facial expressions," one Yahoo! commenter wrote. They further criticized Bush's legacy, adding, "He should have stayed home. I think they all have forgotten he left office as a very unpopular President and he started a war where many many died."

Reactions on X were mixed. One user joked, "So true... LOL." Another quipped, "But only one of them is really from Texas."

Beyoncé, born in Houston, Texas, has deep roots in the state, while Bush, originally from New Haven, Connecticut, later became the governor of Texas before becoming president.

Hager previously discussed her father's viral moments, sharing on Today how the Bush family reacted.

"Everybody has been talking about yesterday's inauguration, but you all already guessed what moment has been blowing up our family group chat. My dad went viral for these cutaway shots during yesterday's broadcast," she said. She later joked, "You guys, you can't just blame him because it looks like my dad was also seated next to a bad influence," before cutting to a clip of former President Barack Obama humorously telling Bush to behave.

Beyoncé and Obama, who both hold Grammy wins, continue to make history. The singer now has 35 Grammy Awards — the most of any artist — while Obama previously won two Grammys for Best Spoken Word Album in 2006 and 2008.

Tags
Beyonce, George W. Bush, Grammy Awards