‘Today’ host Jenna Bush Hager is facing backlash for telling her 5-year-old son to call her his “girlfriend” and admitting she gets mad when he doesn’t

Jenna Bush Hager, one in every of former US President George W. Bush’s twin sisters, found herself in a difficult situation after an ongoing joke about her young child sparked backlash online.

On Tuesday’s episode of NBC’s weekday morning show “Today with Hoda & Jenna,” she and co-host Hoda Kotb talked about Jenna’s 5-year-old son, Hal.

“He says things that are pretty rude, like, ‘I’m not his girlfriend,’” Bush Hager said, before Kotb asked, “How did this even start with this girl?”

Jenna replied, “I just heard (Today producer Gavin Shulman) scream, ‘You’re not.’ I know, but it’s something I like to do, OK?”

She continued, “I like to say, ‘I really like you a lot.’ I’m your girlfriend. And I prefer it when he says, “Yes, mommy is my girlfriend.” OK? I do know I actually have serious problems.

Page six reposted a clip of Bush Hager’s remarks from “Today with Hoda & Jenna” on the shop’s Instagram page.

The celebrity gossip publication’s comments section saw various negative reactions directed on the journalist, including some who found her comments “beyond disgusting.”

“I hope there will be a therapist for this child,” wrote one Instagram user. Another person said: “Those are the thoughts you retain in your head, girl. Don’t share for the world to hear, lol.

Another critic suggested that government agencies akin to Child Protective Services get entangled, writing, “Someone call CPS.”

One of Jenny’s defenders wrote: “When my son was a toddler, he said I was his girlfriend. This is not unusual. That’s sweet. Don’t read any more into it.”

The response to this comment was, “But that is the kid, they do not know any higher. She is his MOTHER, an adult who should tackle the role of mom, not girlfriend??? Sick.”

Jenna met her future husband, Henry Hager, when he worked on her father’s 2004 presidential campaign. They were married on May 10, 2008, at her parents’ Prairie Chapel Ranch in Crawford, Texas.

In April 2013, they welcomed their first child, Margaret Laura “Mila” Hager, and in August 2015, their second daughter, Poppy Louise Hager.

Jenny and Henry’s first son, Harold “Hal” Hager, was born in August 2019 via Caesarean section.

“I was at Hal’s for an hour, my sister came in with tacos and donuts, and the nurse said I wasn’t allowed to have tacos and donuts for breakfast” Jenna he reminded on “Today with Hoda and Jenna” in 2023.

The University of Texas graduate also explained, “I wasn’t allowed to eat yet because I had a C-section.”

Jenna Bush Hager is the daughter of the forty third president and former first lady Laura Bush.

She is also the granddaughter of forty first President George H. W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush. Jenna has a twin sister, also Barbara Bush.

Jenna Bush Hager joined “Today” in 2019. She replaced longtime TV host Kathie Lee Gifford on the 16-year-old daytime show once titled “Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda.”