Former President George W. Bush Talks Freedom of Press and More On The Ellen Show

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George W. Bush the 43rd President of the United States, visited The Ellen Show to chat about his new book of portraits, share his thoughts on the press, Vladimir Putin and more.

The interview was both quite insightful and pretty funny.

DeGeneres welcomed President Bush to the stage after introducing his new book, "Portraits of Courage." The President even broke it down a little bit with dancing to make sure he did it justice. He said he was excited to be there, especially because DeGeneres and his daughter Jenna are good friends.

The host said she loves President Bush's entire family and was glad to see his parents at the Super Bowl.

President Bush said that he was the first President to have both of his parents alive following his presidency. In terms of the presidency today, President Bush said it is not the first time the nation was divided. He brought DeGeneres back to his days out of college where there was the Vietnam War, a draft, major race riots, political assassinations and a lot of turmoil.

He continued to say that while everyone thought the country was going to go down the tubes, the fact is the U.S. is too strong to do so. Thus, the President is remaining optimistic.

President Bush said he doesn't believe a former President should criticize his successors. DeGeneres said she is concerned about the war against press that she believes President Donald Trump is waging.

The President said that he believes the nation needs a free and independent press. He believed the press is there to hold politicians accountable for their actions and that he shared a symbiotic relationship with them.

The President continued to say that he is a big believer in free press, just as he is a big believer in free religion. He said that you can worship or not worship and still be equally American, regardless of how or who you worship. Meanwhile, the President said that when he met Putin, he kind of dissed his dog Barney.

He later on met with Putin who brought out his dog and told him he was bigger, stronger and faster than Barney. This led President Bush to believe that Putin has a chip on his shoulder.

The extensive interview also found President Bush explaining his new book "Portraits of Courage," as well as his his problem with ponchos. You can watch the best highlights with President George W. Bush in The Ellen Show videos below.

Former President George W. Bush Visits The Ellen Show