Jenna Bush Hager has taken a stroll down memory lane, revealing some intriguing tidbits about her adolescent escapades, including her use of a unique “code name.”
In a recent episode of Today, the 43-year-old shared that she employed a pseudonym for hotel reservations during her father, former President George W. Bush‘s transition from Texas governor to the national stage.
When co-host Sheinelle Jones inquired, “Can you tell us your name now? Is it classified or anything?” Bush Hager playfully responded, “No. Let’s declassify it.”
“My name was Holly Crawford,” she revealed, adding with a wink, “I know, Holly sounds like a good time, doesn’t she?”
Bush Hager, who married Henry Hager in 2008, mentioned that she didn’t conjure the name out of thin air—it possibly came from the Secret Service. The name “Crawford” ties back to her parents’ residence in Texas, while “Holly” evokes a whimsical twist. “If Holly Crawford shows up, she’s ready to order a margarita,” she joked, blurring the lines between her childhood imaginings and reality.
During the eight years her father occupied the White House, Bush Hager and her twin sister, Barbara Pierce Bush, experienced a unique upbringing. Since then, she has been forthright about her experiences at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, including a couple of memorable encounters with law enforcement.
Clarifying past misconceptions, she recounted to her former co-host Hoda Kotb in 2023, “I didn’t actually go to jail, I just was arrested. I wasn’t even detained; I just got a minor in possession of alcohol when I was 20 years old because I ordered a margarita at Chuy’s with a fake ID.”
Bush Hager attributed part of her minor troubles to a waitress who allegedly called the cops because “she didn’t like my dad.” In a surprising twist of logic, she added, “To her credit, that was dumb. I mean, my dad was the president.”
Her first encounter with the law occurred in April 2001 when she was charged with possession of alcohol while underage in Texas. Just a month later, another misdemeanor charge followed for utilizing a fake identification to purchase alcohol, to which she pleaded no contest.
In August, she humorously revisited this chapter of her life on the Today show, introducing viewers to Ashley Hicks, the daughter of a Secret Service agent. Hicks gained fanfare for sharing “typical teenage experiences that many got away with, but she never could.”
Concerning her experience, Bush Hager playfully remarked to Ashley, “I, too, couldn’t get away with much because I was followed by men with fanny packs that were concealing things,” prompting co-host Craig Melvin to reminisce about articles highlighting her teenage hijinks. Bush Hager humorously noted, “Listen, Ashley. I didn’t really get away with it in the end. I was arrested! There’s a mugshot that says I didn’t get away with it.”
Despite her youthful misadventures, Melvin pointed out that Bush Hager has ultimately turned out well, a testament to her resilience and the ability to navigate her unique upbringing.
