Image Credit: Judi Bottoni/NBC; Bob Levey/Getty ImagesGeorge W. Bush is sitting down with Matt Lauer to give his first one-on-one TV interview since leaving the White House. The interview will air Monday, Nov. 8 at 8 p.m., and then Bush will appear live on Today Wednesday, Nov. 10. Not coincidentally, Bush’s memoir Decision Points comes out that week.
Lauer talked about the interview on The Tonight Show last night, saying that he and his people had been pursuing the interview for over a year. “When you stop and think about what President Bush experienced in office, from 9/11, to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Hurricane Katrina, and so many other things, the financial situation — it should be really interesting,” Lauer said.
Off topic, but: Lookin’ good, Matt Lauer!
Anyway, George W. Bush sticks to talking points, no matter what, so I have pretty low expectations for these interviews. What about you, PopWatchers? Looking forward to reliving the Bush years?
Read more:
George W. Bush’s book ‘Decision Points’ gets a cover and a release date
I can’t believe we haven’t been inundated with at least 3 articles about Taylor Swift’s new record, “Tone Deaf” today.
Poor Matt. He’s going to walk out stupider than when he walked in.
Nothing new is going to come out of the interview w/ W.
YES! I can’t wait. Now that he’s not the president I can finally start loving him for all of his hilariousness. I hope he lets loose a little.
I feel the same way. It’s hard to look at that pic of him and not smile.
I can tell you exactly how it will play out. As you say, Bush will come out with his main talking points, then Matt will ask him a few softball questions, maybe about his daughters, how does it feel to not be president anymore, if you had any words of wisdom for obama what would you tell him right now. They will act like friends, and then Matt will transition from an easy Obama question to a hardball followup about how “Many say your administration is what led to all of the issues Obama is facing today; if you could do anything differently what would it be?” And Bush will smile and condescendingly laugh at Matt Lauer and dodge and swerve and stick to his talking points. He may even call Matt glib once or twice, that would be the highlight, but who knows?
This is really funny, because I suspect you’ve pegged the interview EXACTLY as it’ll happen. Politicians in general are fairly predictable, and Bush lacks the intelligence and imagination to be able to stray from the path laid out for him by his handlers. He’ll skate through on whatever charm he can still muster, and then FOX News will tell its viewers how brilliant Bush was at evading Matt’s obvious attempts to unfairly blame him for Obama’s failings.
And truthfully, I don’t care that much if he opens up, but it’s like come on, we all know you’re just on a promotional tour and that you aren’t really going to open up about anything you don’t WANT to talk about.
What I don’t get is, why do the promotional tour? There’s no way he wrote this book for the money because he already has sooooo much of it. So I assume he wanted to write the book cuz that’s what presidents do, but then why even bother to do interviews that you don’t want to do? People are gonna buy this book regardless of how many stops he has on his press tour.
I agree with your assessment of the interview. Would like to hear Matt ask Bush how Bush & his administration have avoided an indictment for War Crimes. With the Nuremberg Trials as a basis, I think he & his group would be a shoe-in for his “War of Aggression” into Iraq. Must be a case of “Might makes Right”.
give it up man. war is what got you here
I can’t wait because I want to relive the Bush years. Sometimes I still consider Bush to be president because no one has taken over the role. So either Bush is president or more likely no one is president because there hasn’t been anyone that has replaced him. Obama isn’t president, he is an idiot!
Lawd, I can’t even tell which are the fake comments anymore… because no one is actually this stupid, right?
Considering that my tax dollars are still going to fund HIS bogus war in Iraq and the economy is still suffering from all of HIS administration’s economic missteps, yeah, sometimes I feel like I’m still living in the Bush years too. What a shame Obama couldn’t have started out with a balanced budget and a healthy economy, like certain other presidents did.
Please… this is just an opportunity for every Lefty who wants to deflect attention from the Obamanation, to sharpen that razor-sharp wit again. So, once again, we’re treated to another round of Bush is stoopid, Bush got us into war, Bush destroyed the economy… when all it is, is YOUR talking points. Save your breath. The war wasn’t bogus (wikileaks proved that), the Iraq war is over (because of Bush, not The O), and the economy tanked when the democrats took congress in 2007… a third grader can see that. As for the balanced budget – if you believe there really was a surplus, you really are in 3rd grade.
If he had called his book “I’m the Decider”, I might consider buying it just for laughs. “Decision Points” seems uninspired; like a John Grisham novel about murder in the Senate or something.
I can’t wait to watch his interviews. He has one on the 8th 9th and 10th on different shows. Man I really miss him. Ya just gotta love a President from Texas. And he’s American. Two big pluses. YOU GO BOY!
It’s obviously gonna be a walk of an interview for Bush. Like Lauer is really gonna press him with tough questions. No, I don’t think I’ll be watching. Bush already gives me enough nightmares.
I would have thought Lauer’s first question would be “Why did you pick me for the interview? Shouldn’t you have appeared with a more challenging heavyweight like Jon Stewart or Ryan Seacrest?”
yeah Matt, ask him why he blew up the world trade center…
give it up man. your a dumb ass
George Bush has claimed he was on a mission from God when he launched the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, according to a senior Palestinian politician in an interview broadcast by BBC. You were looking for weapons of mass destruction George.
Are you still looking for them?
You cost 4200 American soldiers lives. 30,000 wounded.
So many lives have been lost since the beginning of time based on religion.
And you are sick over Kanye West comments?
And you think the photo in Air Force One was wrong?
Your priorities are still way off the charts my friend.
give it up man. go spend some time in church
The Matt”Lauer interview with former President G. W. Bush confirm that Bush was a total idiot! He should never had been on the street of the White House let along inside! When Bush was asked about waterboarding the idiot only answer half the question. Bottom line if we weatherboard so-call enemy they can waterboard American troops! Also the information receive from waterboarding can’t be trusted! Because after being waterboarding 180 times! Many will just say anything LIE to just end the torture! Another thing Bush said that was totally ignorant was that after 9/11 . He kept America safe! The truth 9/11 happen on his watch and then the idiot sent Americans to fight and DIE in Iraq for nothing! There where no WOMD! Which if it was had nothing to do with the attack on 9/11 any way! But Bush still would allow American troops to fight and die for NOTHING! When asked if he knew what he knew TODAY. Bush said he still would sent American troops to die for NOTHING!! So he LIED after 9/11 he DID NOT keep Americans safe! He just added to the dead Americans by 4,400 plus and counting in Iraq for NOTHING! That’s why today Republicans talk about the surge in Iraq as a achievement. When the truth is there should never been a surge! Because there should had never been a war in Iraq! Bush also seem to suggest when he was at the sight of 9/11 he was infrequence by a angry group to do something! So the idiot just pick Iraq! Instead of Afghanistan where many said America should had attacked first! Matt”Lauer never asked any questions about the 9/11 Report”! Which claims that the Bush’s administration neglected to purchase proper upper body armor for the American troops! As a result 750 American troops die needlessly! Many parent went inline and purchase armor for their children!
I thought Matt was interogating Bush. I dodn’t get an interview, I got Matt’s opinion with very narrow questions. The ones you would expect The President to practice and answer. How about a decent, civil interview. My God, you have given Obama a free pass since he started. I watched about 20 minutes, saw where it was going and went to the computer. Thats the way it is anymore. Nothing worthwhile on TV. To some of Bush’s critics on here, I wonder how Obama’s post-presidency interview will go. Will we see the girls packing there clothes and Matt asking Mrs M about her design choices? Probably. Matt, you lost a fan.