That Time George HW Bush Invited Dana Carvey to the White House to Spoof Him to His Face (Video)
Hard to imagine our current POTUS making such an invite to Alec Baldwin
Thom Geier | December 1, 2018 @ 6:17 AM
Last Updated: December 1, 2018 @ 10:29 AM
It was a kinder, gentler time — December 1992.
President George H.W. Bush, who died Friday at age 94, had just been soundly defeated by Bill Clinton in his bid for re-election.
But he extended an unexpected invitation to Dana Carvey — the comedian/impressionist who had mocked him on an almost weekly basis on “Saturday Night Live” — to appear at the White House for a holiday party for outgoing and deeply dispirited staffers.
And so Carvey appeared in the East Room, entering to the tune of “Hail to the Chief” and addressing his audience with his spot-on Bush voice and wild hand gesticulations.
“This is very, very strange,” the Canadian-born comic soon said in his own voice, and then recalled his evening in the Lincoln bedroom the night before.
“I couldn’t resist getting on the phone, and I called up the Secret Service as the president: ‘I feel like going jogging tonight. In the nude,'” he joked, back in Bush’s voice. “‘Fully unclothed.'”
Unlike President Donald Trump, who bristles publicly at Alec Baldwin’s impersonation of him on the current “SNL,” Bush seemed to take Carvey’s mockery in stride.
“Dana has given me a lot of laughs,” Bush said when he reclaimed his podium, joined by his wife, Barbara (who herself died earlier this year). “And the fact that we can laugh at each other is a very fundamental thing.”
The elder President Bush even occasionally adopted some of Carvey’s Bushisms as his own in public appearances, including the memorable “Wouldn’t be prudent at this juncture.”
According to the Washington Post, Carvey was initially reluctant to make the White House appearance back in 1992. As Bush wrote in his diary, “He told me I’ve tried not to cross the line of fairness. I told him I didn’t think he had.”
Watch the video above.
A Look Back at Dana Carvey as George HW Bush: 7 Classic 'SNL' Sketches (Videos)
"President George Bush Talks About the White House Drug Problem" (1989)
Dana Carvey proved to be a gifted impressionist in his long run on "Saturday Night Live," nailing the cadence of George H.W. Bush's New England speaking voice, as seen in this sketch that runs through multiple issues of the late '80s.
"George Bush on Support for the War in Iraq and Bombing" (1990)
You could be forgiven for thinking this sketch was about George W. Bush given the talk about war in Iraq.
"President George H. W. Bush’s Gift Ideas" (1991)
Toward the end of Bush's presidency (and what he hoped would just be his first term -- Carvey's impression had become so embedded in the public consciousness that Bush himself started referencing it in a bid for public self-deprecation.
"George Bush on New Hampshire’s Super Tuesday Message" (1992)
After Bush beat Patrick Buchanan in a closer-than-expected New Hampshire primary after telling crowds, "Message: I care," Carvey offered his own version reflecting voters' discontent: "You're pissed."
"Christmas at the White House" (1992)
This sketch is not from "SNL" -- but it is a sign of just how highly Bush regarded Carvey despite all the public mockery. Less than a month after losing his re-election bid in 1992, the president invited Carvey to do his impression at a White House Christmas event.
"George H. W. Bush Gives Debate Advice to George W. Bush" (2000)
When Texas Gov. George W. Bush mounted his own bid for the White House, Carvey reprised his role -- opposite Will Ferrell.
"George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush Go Hunting" (2000)
The father-son advice didn't stop after George W. Bush won the election, though Ferrell's George W. Bush seems far more interested in deer antlers.
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The oldest U.S. president, who died Friday at age 94, was a big fan of the comedian’s impression
"President George Bush Talks About the White House Drug Problem" (1989)
Dana Carvey proved to be a gifted impressionist in his long run on "Saturday Night Live," nailing the cadence of George H.W. Bush's New England speaking voice, as seen in this sketch that runs through multiple issues of the late '80s.
