As America mourns the loss of Arizona Republican John McCain, many have praised the late senator’s willingness to reach across the aisle in friendship if not always in political agreement — and in one moment during McCain’s memorial service on Saturday, former President George W. Bush delivered on that sentiment.
George W. Bush sneaking a piece of candy to Michelle Obama is warming my heart . pic.twitter.com/pAtDdIcSeB
— Roland Scahill (@rolandscahill) September 1, 2018
The video shared by Roland Scahill is only four seconds long, but it shows a smiling George W. Bush taking what appears to be a piece of candy from Laura Bush. He then passes it to former First Lady Michelle Obama, who is seated on his other side. She mouths the words, “thank you,” while former President Obama, on her other side, just nods and smiles.
“George W. Bush sneaking a piece of candy to Michelle Obama is warming my heart,” Scahill captioned the video.
And Scahill was not the only one to notice.
As the camera cut away from Sen. Lieberman for a moment during his eulogy, it caught Laura Bush passing a piece of hard candy to Michelle Obama.
That image captured what John McCain was to the Senate. A man who reached across the aisle in friendship and decency.
— TOᑭ ᖇOᑭE TᖇAViS (@TopRopeTravis) September 1, 2018
The camera just cut away from Joe Lieberman’s joke about John McCain to Laura Bush just passing a hard church candy to Michelle Obama thru George Bush and it might be the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen. #NationalCathedral
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) September 1, 2018
George Bush slipping candy to Michelle Obama is a sweet & hard metaphor for all we have lost in politics. https://t.co/KTvTBhgkvg
— Faith Salie (@Faith_Salie) September 1, 2018
Bush also honored McCain at Saturday’s service with a eulogy that touched on his own personal history with the late senator, but he summed up his feelings in one brief statement near the beginning of his remarks.
“The thing about John’s life was the amazing sweep of it,” he said. “From a tiny prison cell in Vietnam to the floor of the United States Senate. From troublemaking plebe to presidential candidate. Wherever John passed throughout the world, people immediately knew there was a leader in their midst. In one epic life was written the courage and greatness of our country.”
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