Former Republican President George W. Bush opened his mouth big and wide and stuck his own foot directly in it during a recent speaking event at the Bush Center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, this week — and now he’s getting his rear end absolutely blistered for it.
MSNBC’s Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist described Bush’s cringe-inducing faux pas as a “really painful” “Freudian slip” and we couldn’t agree more after the controversial ex-president seemed to slip up his words during his speech and publicly condemned the “brutal invasion of Iraq” before realizing what he said and quickly backtracking and correcting himself, saying, “I mean, of Ukraine.”
In his speech, Bush was attempting to condemn Russia’s violent, devastating invasion and attack on Ukraine, going so far as to compare Russia’s dictatorial President Vladimir Putin to Winston Churchill. But he managed to inadvertently criticize himself and his own actions during his time as president almost two decades ago, when his decisions ultimately cost the lives of nearly 4,500 American troops and an immeasurable number of Iraqi citizens.
“The result is an absence of checks and balances in Russia, and the decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq,” Bush stated during the speech before quickly adding, “I mean, of Ukraine.”
The audience immediately paused in a thick, awkward silence before bursting into somewhat uncomfortable laughter after the ex-Republican president attempted to blame his faux pas on his old age.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
But old age or not, people were cringing to their cores.
MSNBC’s Brzezinski was visibly embarrassed and uncomfortable as the “Morning Joe” co-hosts teased a clip of Bush’s slip up.
“Willie, you need to help me with this tease,” Brzezinski said, obviously uncomfortable already. “I’m cringing even talking about it. Well, George W. Bush in Dallas. I can’t — do you know what I’m talking about?”
“I do, I do,” co-host Willie Geist responded. “This is a tease, yes.”
“I don’t know, I might have to leave the room when we show it,” Mika went on to add. “It is a serious issue, No. 1, but so — I mean, I’ve never seen a gaffe like this, ever. How would you tease it, Willie? Help me out.”
“It’s a former president of the United States making a Freudian slip,” Willie explained, “and a painful one, about the war in Iraq.”
“Really painful,” Brzezinski added.
When the network finally rolled the teaser footage, Mika literally buried her face in her hands.
“I can’t watch this, but here it is,” she said. “Here he is talking about the war in Ukraine where he misspeaks, take a listen. Nobody wants to talk about it.”
Social media was less than forgiving too:
Saying the quiet part out loud
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) May 19, 2022
‘The decision of one man to launch a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq. I mean of Ukraine.” The mother of all gaffes, via @michaeldamianw pic.twitter.com/nnnB4W2JHm
— Nick Gillespie (@nickgillespie) May 19, 2022
It’s not a mistake. His conscience knows what he did. The Dead hear. https://t.co/YcoCTlXCV3
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) May 19, 2022
Hard to think of another living person with more blood on his hands than George W. Bush
— Kate Aronoff (@KateAronoff) May 19, 2022
Don’t say Iraq. Don’t say Iraq. Don’t say Iraq. Don’t say Iraq. Don’t say Iraq. Don’t say Iraq. Don’t say Iraq.
Ladies and Gentleman, George W. Bush: https://t.co/rWfO1SmByf— Gerry Callahan (@GerryCallahan) May 19, 2022
Oof.
If you were George W. Bush, you think you’d just steer clear of giving any speech about one man launching a wholly unjustified and brutal invasion. https://t.co/8zdH0ogOAy
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) May 19, 2022
George W. Bush is a war criminal.
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) May 19, 2022
George W. Bush joked about invading Iraq tonight… what a trash person.
How many Americans were sent to die by him for a lie? Disgusting.
— Tim Young (@TimRunsHisMouth) May 19, 2022
Freudian slip of the century…
Former US President George. W Bush denounces the “wholly unjustified and brutal invasion of Iraq… I mean Ukraine.” pic.twitter.com/KNlUwQnWQQ
— Andrew Stroehlein (@astroehlein) May 19, 2022
Jesus, man. That was BRUTAL.
Featured image via screen capture
