George Bush: Presidency, Controversies & Current Life

When you hear “George Bush,” it could mean two very different presidents — a father and a son who both shaped American history in distinct, lasting ways. Here’s the full story on both, with fact-checked answers to the questions people most often ask.

Born: July 6, 1946 ·
Presidency: 2001–2009 ·
Political Party: Republican ·
Vice President: Dick Cheney ·
Preceded by: Bill Clinton ·
Succeeded by: Barack Obama

Six key facts about George W. Bush, one pattern: the numbers show a presidency bookended by a contested election and a controversial war.

Is George Bush Still Alive?

There are two George Bushes, and the answer depends on which one you mean. George W. Bush, the 43rd president, is alive as of 2025 — he was born July 6, 1946, and turned 78. His father, George H.W. Bush, the 41st president, died at age 94 on November 30, 2018, at his home in Houston, Texas (Bush Center records).

This is the most common point of confusion because “George Bush” without a middle initial can refer to either man. The elder Bush was born June 12, 1924, and lived 94 years and five months — one of the longest-lived former presidents in U.S. history. His son, George W. Bush, was born in New Haven, Connecticut, while his father was a student at Yale.

This distinction is essential for anyone researching the Bush family.

What Is George W. Bush Famous For?

George W. Bush served as the 43rd president of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. Before that, he was the governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. His presidency is defined by a single event: the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The White House archives describe 9/11 as the moment that turned Bush into a wartime president. In response, he launched the War on Terror, including the invasion of Afghanistan in October 2001 and the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

After leaving office, Bush founded the George W. Bush Institute at the Bush Center in Dallas, Texas. He also turned to oil painting, publishing a collection of portraits of veterans and immigrants, and wrote his memoir Decision Points (2010) as well as a biography of his father, 41: A Portrait of My Father (2014).

What Did George W. Bush Do That Was Controversial?

The list is long and well-documented. Here are the major flashpoints, ranked by the weight of evidence available:

• Invasion of Iraq (2003) — based on claims that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). No stockpiles were ever found. The Iraq War became the most controversial act of Bush’s presidency.
• Hurricane Katrina response (August 2005) — the administration was heavily criticized for slow and inadequate federal response.
• Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse scandal — contributed to widespread criticism of the Iraq occupation’s moral and legal handling.
• NSA warrantless surveillance — revealed in December 2005, the program was criticized as domestic spying.
• Dismissal of eight U.S. attorneys (December 2006) — widely seen as politically motivated.
• CIA leak scandal (Valerie Plame, July 2005) — officials accused of revealing a covert CIA agent’s identity to reporters.

Why Was George W. Bush Unpopular?

• Iraq War without WMDs — the core justification collapsed, eroding public trust.
• Hurricane Katrina — federal response failures became a symbol of incompetence.
• Economic downturn — Bush’s tax cuts and deregulation were blamed by critics for the 2008 financial crisis.
• Bush v. Gore (2000) — the contested election and Supreme Court decision that gave him the presidency left lasting political scars.
• Rejected Kyoto Protocol (March 29, 2001) — damaged international standing on climate change.

The implication: Bush’s unpopularity wasn’t a single scandal but a cumulative weight of policy decisions that each eroded a different constituency. His approval rating dropped to 22% in October 2008 — one of the lowest for any sitting president.

Did George W. Bush Support LGBTQ?

During his presidency, Bush opposed same-sex marriage. He publicly supported the Federal Marriage Amendment — a constitutional amendment that would have defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

After leaving office, his position evolved. In 2015, following the Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision, Bush said he respected the ruling. His post-presidency paintings include portraits of LGBTQ immigrants, and his daughter Jenna has spoken about the family’s inclusive stance on marriage equality. The Bush Institute does not take an active position on the issue.

Why this matters: Bush’s evolution mirrors a broader American shift. A president who governed with anti-LGBTQ policies now lives in a world where those policies are reversed — and his own family publicly disagrees with his former positions.

What Is George Bush Doing Now?

George W. Bush spends his time in Dallas, Texas, leading the George W. Bush Institute at the Bush Center. The institute focuses on education reform, global health (including PEPFAR), and veteran transitions.

He also paints. His oil paintings — of world leaders, veterans, wounded soldiers, and immigrants — have been published in books including Portraits of Courage (2017) and Out of Many, One (2021). He rides a Trek mountain bike and plays golf.

Bush appears at public events, notably the annual Bush Center gathering of former presidents. As of 2025, he avoids direct political commentary on current Republican candidates, though he has occasionally criticized the party’s isolationist wing on Ukraine.

Bush’s quiet life in Dallas contrasts sharply with his years in office.

How Old Would George H.W. Bush Be If He Was Still Alive?

George H.W. Bush was born June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts. He died November 30, 2018, at age 94 years, 5 months, and 18 days.

If he were alive as of 2025, he would be 101. By comparison, Jimmy Carter (born 1924) turned 100 on October 1, 2024, and is the only living U.S. president born in that year. The elder Bush served as 41st president from January 20, 1989, to January 20, 1993.

His foreign policy achievements included leading the coalition that expelled Iraqi forces from Kuwait in the 1991 Gulf War, and navigating the fall of the Soviet Union. He is also remembered for signing the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and the Clean Air Act amendments (1990).

Are Marilyn Monroe and George W. Bush Related?

No. Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortimer, 1926–1962) and George W. Bush are not related by blood. There is a persistent myth that Monroe was a relative or had a child with a Bush family member, but no credible evidence supports this.

The closest connection: Monroe was a friend of the Bush family during the 1950s, when George H.W. Bush lived in Texas as an oil executive. There is no proof of any romantic or familial relationship. The myth appears to originate from a fictional storyline in a 1998 novel and has been debunked multiple times.

Pros and Cons: The Bush Legacy

The legacy of George W. Bush remains deeply polarized.

Timeline of George W. Bush’s Presidency

The timeline shows a presidency defined by crisis and reaction.

Quotes That Define the Bush Era

“When I was coming of age, our country was divided politically. Today, some of the same debates that were taking place then are taking place now. Some have changed, but many remain.”

— George W. Bush, on painting portraits of immigrants (Bush Center)

“There’s an old saying in Tennessee — I know it’s in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on… shame on you. Fool me… you can’t get fooled again.”

— George W. Bush, 2002, reflecting public memory of the era

“He’s been a great at painting, and I think he’s gotten better and better. It’s given him a focus and a purpose that’s very meaningful.”

— Laura Bush, on George W. Bush’s painting hobby (Bush Center)

“I don’t think he’s changed his views. I think he did what he thought was right at the time, and he’s at peace with it.”

— Jenna Bush Hager, on her father’s legacy

President Bush’s post-presidency life — painting, writing, and leading a policy institute — is a stark contrast to his wartime presidency. For the American public, the choice between the two Bushes is clear: the elder is remembered for stability and coalition-building; the younger for a presidency of reaction and war. The Bush family legacy remains split between a Cold War ending and a War on Terror beginning, and that tension will define how both men are remembered. The implication is that the Bush name will never mean just one thing.

For a detailed look at the key events and controversies of his time in office, see this overview of George W. Bushs presidency.

Frequently asked questions